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Cynicopedia
Social DynamicsDiagnosis

Parasocial

pair-uh-SOH-shuladjective

What it means

Describes a relationship in which one party has no knowledge of the other and both have strong opinions.

What it actually means

I feel like I know them.

How it is used in a sentence

"I know it's parasocial but I'm genuinely upset about the podcast ending."

Filed under

Social Dynamics — The unwritten rules we invented online and now enforce in public without irony.

Diagnosis — The phrase already names a real problem. We define it properly.


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