GoKawiil
Tech News
Data for Progress surveyed 1,098 U.S. adults, replicating questions from the 1975-1999 DDB Needham Life Style surveys, and compared results with 1995 data. The firm found double-digit percentage-point declines in activities such as attending a class or seminar, entertaining people at home, and attending church, with participation in several activities falling by more than 20 points.
A commentary piece argues that widely cited claims of an epidemic of loneliness rest on flawed data analysis. The author points to surveys, such as one showing 76% of Californians and 78% of residents in China's Anhui province report feeling lonely, and argues researchers wrongly assume this represents an 'unprecedented' rise without historical comparison data. The piece also criticizes age-based breakdowns of loneliness statistics for assuming today's young people will remain lonely as they age, and older people were never lonely when young.
New Pew data hosted by the Association of Religion Data Archives shows how comfortable Americans feel discussing mental health with various people in their lives, revealing that many lack a trusted confidant such as a spouse, friend, or coworker. The analysis was prompted by a viral video of a stranger stopping to comfort a distressed man walking alone on a road. The findings highlight how isolated many people feel when facing personal struggles.
Ollobot argues that early companion robots from 2017 relied on simple voice commands and novelty, causing many to be abandoned once their appeal faded and some manufacturers shut down. The company is now framing a new generation of robots built with psychological research and clinical insight, aiming to shift from reactive gadgets to proactive, ever-present companions for isolated groups like elderly adults living alone and children separated from migrant parents.