Its worse than ever, also because people don’t seem to realize it’s technology that is keeping them alone. You cant connect and make friends over “social” media or Lemmy or whatever. It’s just spending time to feel less alone. It will never cure it.
DarkSideOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It’s kind of sad. Person is very alone it seems
1984@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
eestileib@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Nah, I’ve made several close friends in RL from online dating sites and discord. I’ve made some solid electronic pen pals on Mastodon too.
Not as many as going out and being social, but it’s competitive.
MonkRome@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
My research in school was exactly this, I set out to prove people on social media lacked social connection irl. What I found out was the opposite, the more people were trying to connect online directly correlated to connecting more offline. Some people just seem to crave those connections anywhere they can get it.
Redfox8@mander.xyz 3 weeks ago
No surprise, no surprise whatsoever. We are all evolved to desire community & connection. I realise Lemmy has a large share of those that reject conventional community (myself included), so no criticism. But it’s natural to desire these things (to varying extents), plus many people are just plain sycophantic if course!
1984@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
It makes sense. Human beings need connections and some people will even put up with abusive connections just to have a connection.
tigermountain@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
And why can’t you go out into the real world and meet anybody?
1984@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
Fear of things. It’s always fear that is blocking people.
tigermountain@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
People must forget what they’ve read, forget what they’ve seen, and forget what they imagine to be a go out and live. Go to the store, go see a band, go to a museum, go for a walk. You’ll find most people want to be kind and good and help each other.
Merman_Gothique@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
[deleted]1984@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
I doubt it’s a real friendship. I define it as someone who will actually care about you. Someone who will show up at your door if you need help, or when something difficult happens to you.
Its rare with actual friendship in the world too. People are mostly just colleagues at work.
Aiz@reddthat.com 3 weeks ago
true
gwulgg@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I don’t think it’s just this. These people aren’t all so lonely they turn to a chatbot for everything. Sure, some are. A fair portion of them though are just malignant narcissists who love the praise and fawning an AI will heap on them
phorq@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Yeah, even if you’re lonely, talking to a chatbot is not the same as talking to a friend. A friend will call me stupid if I’m being stupid or talk about their own interests or experiences that might not align with mine too. Chatbots just feel hollow and the praise it gives rings even less sincere because of it. Seeing it as a companion is a form of purposeful self isolation I don’t understand.