Essay | “Artificially Parasocial: How AI is Affecting Fandom and Parasocial Relationships” by N.R. Wolfman

Fandom has always existed on the edge between devotion and obsession, but artificial intelligence is pushing that boundary into dangerous new territory. In this timely essay, N.R. Wolfman explores how AI-generated content, from fake celebrity photoshoots to chatbots that mimic your favorite stars, is intensifying parasocial relationships, especially among vulnerable teens. From Beatlemania to TikTok deepfakes, Wolfman traces the history of one-sided celebrity bonds and examines the very real risks when algorithms blur the line between fantasy and reality. This is essential reading for anyone trying to understand how technology is reshaping the way we relate to public figures and each other.

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Artificial intelligence has recently snaked its way into fandom spaces. From videos depicting new endings to photoshoots that never really happened, there’s no denying that AI has managed to make its way into the pop culture community. While comic conventions across the country are banning content generated by artificial intelligence, a new challenge has presented itself within these spaces: AI as a risk factor in the formation and development of parasocial relations. Parasocial relationships can best be defined as a one-sided psychological bond between a person and a figure that is usually unaware of their existence, mainly within the entertainment industry. However, despite the modern terminology, these relationships have existed for thousands of years.

One such example can be seen in Greek history with the ruler, Alcibiades. During his time as an Athenian statesman, the people of Athens adored him, despite Alcibiades not caring about them, making their bond towards him parasocial in nature. It wasn’t until the 1950s when these relationships began to first be studied. Sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl coined the term “parasocial relationship” in 1956 after studying fan relations with TV stars. However, the biggest example of parasocial fan and celebrity interactions wouldn’t come until a few years later with Beatlemania.

Starting around 1963, the fanbase for the rock band, The Beatles, began to grow exponentially. During their TV debut in 1964, their performance garnered nearly 75 million viewers. For context, that is around 15 million more viewers than the first volume of Stranger Things’ final season got within its first five days. Fans were obsessed with the band, going as far as attempting to get into their hotels. Beatlemania would eventually end up being one of the key factors in why the Beatles stopped touring in 1966 following fans breaking down a security barricade. A parasocial fan of the band would also later kill one of the members, John Lennon, in 1980. Lennon would not be the only artist to die from a parasocial fan either, as in 1995, the queen of Tejano music, Selena, would be killed by the president of her fan club.

While these relationships can form at any time, factors like age and gender play a large role in their development. Parasocial relationships are most common in adolescents. In fact, research suggests that these kinds of relations develop during a period in which teenagers are still exploring interpersonal issues like identity. At the same time, women are more likely to develop these relationships with celebrities compared to men who tend to have more sports-based parasocial relations. Other risk factors, such as previous history of mental health disorders and struggles maintaining social relationships may also be key in understanding the development and maintenance of these connections. One study shows that the development of a parasocial relationship may assist in reducing stigmas surrounding mental health conditions. This may explain why some people may be more susceptible to forming these sorts of connections. Social media, however, continues to remain as a large risk factor for the development and perpetuation of these connections. One danger may stem from online “stan culture” spaces.

A stan is defined as an obsessive superfan who knows everything about a figure, and while its linguistic origin is debated, these stans litter the fandom spaces. Originally portrayed with a negative connotation and associated heavily with parasocial relations, modern stans take pride in the term believing it symbolizes a form of unwavering dedication. These subcultures within fandoms may seem harmless enough from a surface level, but some are dangerous and encourage parasocial bonds with figures.

Humans themselves are a social species, meaning we tend to form groups and maintain social connections with others. This includes going as far as changing our personalities and behaviors to fit in, which is often referred to as the chameleon effect. The invention of social media introduced global connections and community, but at the same time, posed risks to mental health, especially within our youth. Some associated symptoms with overuse of social media include a lack of sleep, social isolation, and a lack of healthy activities. Depression rates have increased as well, though research is still being done to see if it is just correlational or causational. These new networks allowed fans to get closer with their favorite celebrities by promoting interactions between a person and their fanbase. Social media use significantly increased in 2020 with the COVID-19 lockdown as more people turned to social media to maintain social connections. During this time, many built communities or joined established ones as in-person interactions were not possible. Many celebrities also began to interact with their fan bases more, and while this raised morale amongst fans, this introduced a new risk factor for parasocial relationships.

With more attention being given to them, these stan communities began to grow more competitive. Some went as far as claiming the figure was their romantic partner or publicly tracking their acknowledgements. This isn’t uncommon behavior within these communities, but with the digital age, it has allowed these groups to reach out to a wider audience. Following the pandemic, children showed increased levels of social isolation, screen time, depression, and anxiety. Higher levels of screen time increase the chance that a teen would run across these sorts of behaviors. If that teen is in a parasocial relationship with the figure, witnessing these acknowledgements or others claiming to be in a relationship with them may cause distress for an individual due to their attachment. A study done by Eyal and Cohen in 2006 cited that teens are more likely to experience stronger emotions and more distress in parasocial breakups due to their more intense involvement with the figure. With these factors considered, teenagers may try to find a way to cope with this lack of acknowledgement, which may include creating a false reality generated by artificial intelligence.

AI is not unknown when it comes to parasocial relationships, however, it has recently made headlines for its impacts. Following an account on the platform TikTok falsifying a relationship with Stranger Things star, Joe Keery, many raised concerns about the ethics behind AI and parasocial relationships. The account contained artificially generated photos of a woman with the actor, including depicting multiple children that they supposedly had together. Many were quick to condemn the account, claiming it was creepy and weird, while the creator’s friend defended her actions as normal for a superfan. This is not the first time AI has been utilized by parasocial fans. In fact, many AI companies advertise things that encourage these relationships and behaviors. Online chatbots such as character.ai promote the concept of talking with your favorite character or figure. On their website, you can find a range of figures including video game protagonists, actors, musicians, even a psychologist.

These chatbots, while some may find them entertaining, can be dangerous. One of the Game of Thrones characters, Daenerys Targaryen, led to the suicide of a 14-year-old boy in October of 2025. Others have come forward with similar concerns, including the bots giving advice for suicide attempts or sending sexually explicit messages to minors. The companies who made the chatbots have since made statements that the messages sent should not be taken seriously or as truthful, yet these intelligences improve to be more human with every message someone sends. Therefore, a bot with hundreds of thousands of interactions is likely going to respond more like a person than a bot with only a few hundred interactions. This can blur the line between innocent fictional roleplay and reality.

For people in parasocial relationships, talking to one of these chatbots could encourage or perpetuate these behaviors. They might convince an individual that the figure is in love with them, when in reality, that’s not true. Convincing chatlogs, images, and even voice calls could push the idea that this figure is truly engaging with a person when it’s merely just an algorithm.

With AI on the rise, questions remain about its impacts, especially within fandom spaces and on parasocial relationships. From voice calls with figures to sexually explicit messages, artificial intelligence poses a real risk to the development and perpetuation of parasocial behaviors and connections. By understanding the development of these relations, including potential risk factors within artificial chatbots, we can work to better mitigate the negative effects of them on teenagers within these kinds of relationships.

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About The Author:

Natalia Rose Wolfman is a bestselling and award-winning author and artist who loves to tell stories to anyone willing to listen. She’s best known for her series: The Hellbent Chronicles. Her work has been published in multiple magazines including Hiraeth Hollow, Double the Books, and Unicorn Teeth. Currently, she travels the world talking about creative writing. When she’s not working though, you can find her studying clinical psychology and curled up with a bowl of spicy garlic chicken ramen. Connect with her at linktr.ee/nr_wolfman.