I do tend to think isolation is more widespread recently and (to a certain degree anyway) if it didn’t exist we wouldn’t be talking about it.. but I also think we’re being sold the idea that there even is a Solution for it or that we can startup our way out of having any bad feelings ever . and that may be where our friend is coming from
It’s not new in a broader sense, too. Not just ELIZA, but as Turkle pointed out, furbies, Tamagotchi, AIBO, etc. And then even older than that, the thousands of years long fantasies of artificial people
i was MID responding to your first comment when this second one came in! some internet kismet!
thank you for saying that...it means a lot! I'm a big fan of your work and i know randa is too! Re the Not-Newness of these digi-friends...also very true! I was thinking about Tamagotchi, neopets, and nintendogs as i was thinking about the Friend.com...even pokemon had an element of digital ai friendship. I dont know if i have a fully formed thought on it other then it seems vaguely ok for kids to have digital ai style friends, but at some point as you get older it changes for me? i dunno!
Great post! Agree on all fronts. To me, the difference between the podcast community, the therapist, and the friend is that for me the podcast and therapist are transactions. I want information on a topic, I listen to podcast. I want support with x issue that I'm working through, I go to therapist. When people experience loneliness, they might actually have a lot of friends that are transactional like that. I want to go dancing, I call Lucy. etc. Fulfilling friendships aren't just transactional though-- they're multifaceted.
yea thats a good point. 'transactional' is often the phrase people use when a friendship has maybe run its course....with some of these services 'transactional' is the starting point
but also, am i supposed to hear that he spent $1.8 mil on the domain name and NOT treat this like clownery????
I do tend to think isolation is more widespread recently and (to a certain degree anyway) if it didn’t exist we wouldn’t be talking about it.. but I also think we’re being sold the idea that there even is a Solution for it or that we can startup our way out of having any bad feelings ever . and that may be where our friend is coming from
Wait we need Randa to write about Dot pls
It’s not new in a broader sense, too. Not just ELIZA, but as Turkle pointed out, furbies, Tamagotchi, AIBO, etc. And then even older than that, the thousands of years long fantasies of artificial people
I commented this half-asleep (keep weird hours cuz of my baby) but it's missing the most critical thing I wanted to say LOL.. I like your blog!
i was MID responding to your first comment when this second one came in! some internet kismet!
thank you for saying that...it means a lot! I'm a big fan of your work and i know randa is too! Re the Not-Newness of these digi-friends...also very true! I was thinking about Tamagotchi, neopets, and nintendogs as i was thinking about the Friend.com...even pokemon had an element of digital ai friendship. I dont know if i have a fully formed thought on it other then it seems vaguely ok for kids to have digital ai style friends, but at some point as you get older it changes for me? i dunno!
I tried using ChatGPT as a “friend” it told me to seek professional help. I’ll stick to my therapist and #988 if I’m truly that lonely.
Great post! Agree on all fronts. To me, the difference between the podcast community, the therapist, and the friend is that for me the podcast and therapist are transactions. I want information on a topic, I listen to podcast. I want support with x issue that I'm working through, I go to therapist. When people experience loneliness, they might actually have a lot of friends that are transactional like that. I want to go dancing, I call Lucy. etc. Fulfilling friendships aren't just transactional though-- they're multifaceted.
yea thats a good point. 'transactional' is often the phrase people use when a friendship has maybe run its course....with some of these services 'transactional' is the starting point
Thank you for creating! Wonderful, let’s hope we can remember we are here together.