We’ve all had them — those little crushes on people (or characters!) who didn’t actually know we existed. From TV presenters to cartoon characters, boyband posters to puppets (yes, even Basil Brush counts), parasocial love has been part of growing up for so many of us.
At the time, it can feel intense. You doodle their name in your school planner, wait by the TV or radio just to catch a glimpse, and convince yourself that if you ever met, they’d get you. And honestly? In its own way, they probably did. Because what you were falling for wasn’t the literal person on the screen — it was what they represented to you: safety, fun, excitement, or just a spark of joy in an otherwise ordinary day.
Looking back, I think parasocial love is a kind of practice run. It teaches you how to daydream, how to imagine being cared for, how to articulate what you actually want in a relationship. It feels safe, because you don’t risk rejection. And when the real thing comes along (hello, Myron 💖), you realise those childhood crushes were just stepping stones towards the love you get to build for real.
Funny thing is, later on I ended up creating my own “crush-worthy” character — Jonas. He never existed on a screen or a stage, but he grew out of the same space parasocial love lives in: imagination, longing, and the idea of someone who just gets you. And judging by the messages I’ve had, he’s become that person for other people too. Which feels a little full-circle, like I’ve handed the torch on.
Of course, it wasn’t all serious life lessons. Sometimes it was just funny. I know I wasn’t the only kid who thought their favourite cartoon character was *weirdly cute* (don’t lie, you had one too). There’s something endearing about those “what was I thinking?!” crushes we carry with us. They’re part of our story — and actually, part of our joy.
Top 5 Weird (But Kind of Wonderful) Childhood Crushes
- Basil Brush – cheeky, charming, and that laugh. Boom boom!
- Cartoon characters – from Simba to Aladdin, they had us questioning our tastes early on.
- TV presenters – somehow cooler because they spoke straight to the camera (and therefore, to us… right?).
- Boyband posters – blu-tacked on the wall, gazed at every night before bed.
- Disney princes – hopelessly unrealistic but permanently imprinted on our idea of “dreamy.”
So here’s to parasocial love — the safe, sparkly rehearsal space where we first learned how to crush, swoon, and dream. It might not have been “real” love, but it was real to us, and that matters.
Actually Asten 
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