What an Ancient Myth Says About Parasocial Attachments

The article uses the story of Pygmalion, who fell in love with his own sculpture, to illustrate the dangers of confusing fantasy with reality. It argues that parasocial relationships can feel intimate but lack mutual emotional exchange, and that social media and AI can intensify unrealistic attachments and isolation.

In Greek myth, Pygmalion was a celebrated sculptor who withdrew from mortal women, choosing celibacy and art. He carved an ivory figure of ideal female beauty, named Galatea, and gradually treated it as a companion—speaking to it, caressing it, dressing it, and taking it to bed.

He prayed to Aphrodite at her festival to give the statue life. Moved by his devotion, the goddess granted it. When he kissed Galatea, he felt warmth and a pulse; she opened her eyes. The article uses this tale to warn that fantasy can blur reality and that parasocial bonds lack mutual emotional exchange.