In Other Words with Dave

Alison loves to hang out with her friends – every day. She catches up with them while in her car, while she’s at the grocery store, and when she is relaxing at home. Like any relationship, it’s taken years to really get to know her friends. And thanks to the magic (or witchcraft) of internet media, she can drop into a conversation anytime she wants. She feels very much a part of these special relationships – except she isn’t. 

She calls them her “radio friends,” but technically, they’re parasocial relationships, the connections we form with the people in our earbuds and on our screens. They’re the Netflix characters who feel like coworkers. The podcast hosts who narrate our errands. The musicians who really, really get us with whatever we are going through. The time spent together can feel personal, intimate, and oddly comforting, despite the fact that they have no idea we exist. 

These relationships can give us perspective, broaden our world, and even educate us. There’s nothing wrong with that. They make us laugh. They keep us company. They’re low maintenance. They never cancel plans. They don’t ask you to help them move. They’re also never upset if you zone out halfway through the conversation. 

Real-life relationships ask more of us. They notice when something’s off. They remember the long version of our story. They require us to listen when it’s not convenient and show up when it’s not easy. But they also give us something no screen ever can – the feeling that we are known, not just entertained. 

So enjoy the shows. Relate to the lyrics. Laugh with the podcasts. But enjoy the true familiarity of friendship.