Friends as the Antidote to Loneliness in an AI-Driven World
In this initial Perdata.ai blog post, I want to focus on friends and how important to every moment you spend on planet Earth they are. We’re going to develop some groundbreaking AI infused technology to help humans build and maintain their relationships with each other over the coming decades, but first let’s be grateful for those we have, and worry about those struggling with loneliness.
Loneliness has become a very large topic in the media, podcast and scientific communities, but has been a problem plaguing humanity for millennium. It seems ironic in a world that is so connected that loneliness is growing versus abating. The US Surgeon General cited the fact that being lonely had the equivalent impact on health and well-being of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The problem is pervasive across all our population segments and groups within them; seniors, children and young adults, and veterans to name a few.
Friends are the antidote to the loneliness and the despair we all feel occasionally and for the moments when it all seems like its caving in on us. Whether your neighbors or people spread around the globe, they are the ones that can be there for you in good times and bad. Having friends isn’t easy. Before email and almost free phone calls it was an entirely different process to stay in touch – letters, postcards, Christmas cards and the occasional long distance phone call that might cost dollars per minute!
In today’s environment, it is easy to get caught up in the superficial world of social media, where everybody seems to have the life you want! You might have 2,000 friends on Facebook, but who are you going to call when it all hits the fan? Those are the relationships to cherish and nurture. Friends come in many shapes and sizes and take many roles in our lives.
New friends are important to find and cultivate, especially those who share a common passion. Be it golf, coin collecting, wine, bowling or fly fishing (my passion), finding those who share your enthusiasm can extend new horizons and lead to even more new friends.
Over the last months, we’ve been creating a new company. Part of that effort has been reaching out to friends from the past, seeking their guidance and wisdom. I’ve gotten plenty of that help, but just the joy of reconnecting has made the effort worthwhile. I’d encourage you to take out your phone and call a few old friends today, you’ll be amazed by the effort.
While I’m here, I’d like to take a moment to thank all my friends near and far. I’m grateful for the fun moments we’ve shared, and thankful for the times you have pulled me out of a terrible funk with an unexpected phone call or some unvarnished truth about the situation at hand. My life has been a better experience because of you, and I hope I’ve been able to return some of that value. I’m committed to being a better friend and helping others with their quest to build and maintain their circle of life. In light of the accelerating technology and the AI revolution, we hope to make it easier, but it’s still up to each and every individual to do what it takes to find those people who mean the most.
Photo by Valiant Made on Unsplash