Hi, I'm Lovar Burton and this is Lovar Burton Reads.

In every episode I handpicked a different piece of short fiction and I read it too.

The only thing these stories have in common is that I love them and I hope you will too.

There is a concept that has become a little more familiar to us these last few years,

the parasocial relationship.

To one side in relationship where one person spends energy or emotion or time thinking

about another person who doesn't even know that that other party exists.

But you know, this concept isn't new.

A couple of researchers came up with the term parasocial relationship back in 1956.

After mass media like TV, radio and movies gave people the illusion of a face-to-face relationship

with the performer on the screen.

These days we have even more avenues to spend time with people we don't know through social

media.

Maybe you've been following someone on Instagram for years.

Seeing them go through haircuts or partners or moves, talk to you about makeup or books

or whatever.

Their presence feels comforting like it feels when you hang out with a good friend and watch

TV.

Read tacos.

Except this person you follow on social media, if you pass them on the street, it looks

straight through you.

Today's story, hashtag climbing nation, is about one of those kind of relationships.

...