Child Parasocial Relationships and Parenting

[Dr. Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster]: To summarize, I would say parasocial relationships are very common.Even though they are imaginary, they are very real,for those who engage with them,and they have real consequences for the psychological well-being of those who engage in them.So I would suggest nurture the parasocial relationships that can benefit your child and respect your child’s parasocial relationships. So if the child is in love, it is real love. If they are grieving, this is real grief. Don’t try to belittle it.And overall, they’re healthy and good. But you do want to watch or inappropriate confusion between reality and fiction.So depending on the child’s age, a four year-old, it’s okay for them to think that Daniel Tiger actually talks to them.But a 15 year-old should know that this is fantasy, this is not how real life is going to play out. And while overall parasocial relationships is an opportunity to connect with other people, you want to watch out for those very situations when maybe it actually displaces those activities and displaces other relationships.