When we’re feeling all alone, we’re not the only ones. An increasingly high percentage of world citizens are feeling more isolated from others and especially the younger generation are struggling with loneliness.
A study made by a group of British universities found, that 40% of British people aged 16-24 say they often or very often feel alone. In the US, close to 50% between the ages of 18-22 consider themselves lonely, and some are even speaking of a “loneliness epidemic”. An epidemic that not only affects mental health but, can be a stepping stone to depression, heart disease, substance abuse and early deaths.
This problem hasn't gone unnoticed and many are trying to provide treatment through something kids and teens use everyday: tech.
No Isolation wants to battle loneliness within two of the most vulnerable groups: The elderly and children with chronic diseases. Their AV1 robot functions as the eyes, ears and voice of children, who are bound to their bed or can’t attend school. The little, white robot attends class and the child participates through their phone or tablet.
For the Mindstrong app to do its job, you just have to use your phone. Registering the way you tap, scroll and type on your phone enables it to analyze your health. With Mindstrong, being dependent on our phone can actually help keep tabs on our health. The data is encrypted and analyzed using machine learning, and the results are shared with both the user and their medical provider.
Also an AI-powered app, FINE is trying to help lonely children by reacting empathetically to their emotions. Short for Feeling Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional, FINE is a digital friend that can monitor a whole family’s mood over time and be an initiator for dialogue on mental health. Potentially a detector on early stages of depression, it’s developed by Method in collaboration with Fitzrovia Youth in Action, NHS Tavistock Trust and MIND.
And now, you get to meet Fribo. This guy’s mission is to cheer up lonely millennials by letting them know what their friends are up to. The Korean-made robot encourages its owner to text or call up their friends. Instead of initiating a relationship with the robot itself, it’s Fribo’s goal is to be in friend group’s homes and get lonely teens to reach out to each other.
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Banner image: Franck V
