Social Isolation: A Broader View

The previous articles in this series explain how technology is being used to bring people out of social isolation. But sometimes, loneliness springs from other mental conditions, such as anxiety and depression. Targeting these problems can help bring the patient back into a community. Treating Psychological Conditions One of subtler negative effects of moving online is that people lose the small, casual social interactions that previously would buoy their spirits and leave them smiling: asking for help from the post office staff, chatting with cashiers while bagging purchases, greeting people in the elevator, etc. The millions of people working from home during the COVID-19 shutdown—and many are still doing so—lost the multi-layered connections they had with their fellow workers, and have found that they can’t reforge such bonds online. Ideally, we’d all find ways to replenish these weak social ties. But given the centrifugal pull in modern society, some companies are using computers to provide social interaction. Recent big advances in AI, chat, and voice synthesis make it possible to shape personalized conversations and simulate human contact. Some people may find that trrend manipulative or creepy, but such computerized interactions have been shown to combat loneliness. I spoke with Dor Skuler, CEO and cofounder of Intuition Robotics, about their ElliQ companion for the elderly. It asks questions to determine their needs and then carries on the kinds of s...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: AI/Machine Learning Analytics/Big Data Clinical Health IT Company Healthcare IT LTPAC Caretakers Carta Healthcare Dor Skuler ElliQ Facebook Gather Healthcare AI Healthcare Metaverse Intuition Robotics loneliness Matt Hollin Source Type: blogs