Steve sits down with media psychology expert Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster to break down parasocial relationships, the one-sided connections we form with TV hosts, creators, and public figures. From childhood TV to social media, they explore why these connections feel real and how easily we trust them. They also look at how these connections can comfort, teach, and even help us feel less alone – and where they can drift into unrealistic expectations. Along the way, Steve turns the lens on himself, asking what it really means to build a relationship through a screen. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ** if you like this episode, then check out these ** Why Everyone is Choosing to Stay Single - with Eric Klinenberg https://youtu.be/V3_3xYpS108 Depression - with Jessi Gold https://youtu.be/U4KGIjd9LY0 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusive Offers For Our Listeners: Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/alive with code alive. You can try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE at ziprecruiter.com/alive  Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/alive --------------------------------------------------------------------- Alive with Steve Burns - Season One Episode 25 | Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster Instagram: @alivewithsteveburns TikTok: @alivewithsteveburns --------------------------------------------------------------------- There are a thousand podcasts you can listen to. This one listens back. Alive with Steve Burns continues the conversation you began all those years ago. Back then it was letters and numbers and graham crackers. Now it’s death, sex, taxes, and all the big, messy questions of being alive. Why does money stress us out? Is the American dream dead? What’s the future of truth? Each week, a new guest drops by Steve’s window for a genuine and respectful dialogue between two people just trying to figure it out, together. Funny, tender, and just a little weird, this show invites you to sit down and think with Steve once again and wonder… what it really means to be Alive. --------------------------------------------------------------------- You are not alone. You are cared for. If you need someone to listen: National Suicide and Crisis Hotline: https://988lifeline.org/ NAMI Helpline: https://www.nami.org/nami-helpline/ Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/ Keywords: parasocial relationships, media psychology, why we feel connected to celebrities, loneliness and social media, emotional connection psychology, storytelling and persuasion, steve burns podcast Watch full episodes of Alive on YouTube. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content from Steve. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors