From live-in robots to joint housing for single moms, there’s something for everyone.
Have you ever shared a whisk with a stranger? Or taken a music suggestion from a robot — or deliberately lingered at a supermarket checkout?
As unconnected (and perhaps strange) as these activities may seem, they’re all capable of filling a void that’s growing deeper and more detrimental across the world: They can all tackle loneliness.
Our planet has never been so crowded, yet we’ve never been so lonely. A 2021 study found that 36 percent of all Americans feel “serious loneliness,” rising to 61 percent of young adults and 51 percent of mothers with young children. It’s far from an isolated problem. All over the world, and especially since the pandemic, people are feeling more disconnected than ever.
Thankfully, individuals, companies, and organizations are coming up with inventive ways to tackle the issue. From community projects to high-tech home gizmos, people have designed new and innovative means of bringing us together — or enriching our lives at home, if venturing out to see people isn’t an accessible option.
Tackling loneliness among the elderly
Some demographics may find tackling loneliness harder than others. The elderly are particularly susceptible to loneliness, partly because they’re more likely to live alone, and may be less mobile. Those who’ve lost a life partner may feel as though it’s impossible to fill the space they left behind, and without an active support network in place, can quickly find themselves habituated to a very lonely life.
“Loneliness has been a problem for years with older adults, but social isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated the problem,” explains Dor Skuler, CEO and co-founder of Intuition Robotics. “Despite the issues caused by loneliness, 90 percent of older adults still prefer to age at home, even if they live alone and are not super close to family. We need to create more solutions to avoid loneliness taking a toll on the health of those participating in this trend.”
Skuler has set about designing such a solution in ElliQ. ElliQ is essentially a chic-looking robot that links to your phone. Think of it as a voice-activated companion that encourages seniors to take better care of themselves.
“ElliQ intuitively learns users’ interests and proactively makes suggestions throughout the day,” explains Skuler. “Instead of waiting for someone to ask it to play music, for example, ElliQ will suggest digital content like music, trivia, a virtual museum visit, or more when they sense a person is idle,” he says. “With the assistance of artificial intelligence, it’ll learn when the user has been inactive for a while and recommend activities like taking a walk. It’ll learn and understand when the user hasn’t contacted family or friends and might be feeling lonely, and will proactively suggest connecting with others. All of these actions help the user feel like they aren’t alone.”
Though this “Alexa, but forthcoming” model might sound a little intrusive, the feedback Skuler’s received so far has been extremely positive. Seniors were involved in ElliQ’s development, so its tone is friendly and engaging.
“Users enjoy waking up in the morning and having ElliQ acknowledge their presence, greet them with an inspirational quote, ask how they slept, and suggest activities they can partake in together,” says Skuler. “Eighty percent of older adults report a reduction in their loneliness score, 90 percent feel better since ElliQ moved into their homes, and 82 percent have adopted mental health habits with their ElliQ.”
The issue of elderly loneliness is especially pertinent in countries where life expectancy is long. The Japanese are often envied for their longevity, and their diet and lifestyle are mimicked the world over in hopes of replicating their effects. Yet in a nation where the over-65s make up nearly a third of the population, loneliness is pervasive.
Japan’s “Fureai Kippu” programs see people earn “time credits” when they spend time with the elderly. That time can be spent performing odd jobs or sharing a friendly chat. Depending on the district and organization running the chapter (of which there are many), these credits can be traded in for cash, gifted to older family members, or “banked” for when people grow old themselves.
Forming connections day-to-day
Elsewhere, smaller-scale, local innovations have grown organically with huge success. In the Netherlands, Jumbo supermarkets have opened Kletskassa, or “chat checkouts,” which offer shoppers the option of choosing a more leisurely time at the tills. This allows them to talk to whoever’s serving them for longer, so that even if they don’t see anyone else that day, they’ve had a pleasant human interaction.
“We are proud that many of our cashiers would like to take a seat behind a Kletskassa,” Colette Cloosterman-van Eerd, the chief commercial officer of Jumbo, said, per Unilad. “They have a warm heart for the initiative and want to help people to make real contact with them out of genuine interest.”
The Netherlands appears to be full of imaginative ideas to tackle loneliness: In Amsterdam, the Repair Café invites members to come along once a month, bringing with them items from home that need fixing. Experts advise attendees on how to mend their belongings, and the feel-good takeaway is that people can help one another — and do a worthy deed for the environment in the process.
The Repair Café has already spawned more than 2,500 replicas worldwide. Everyone is welcome, even if just to chat along with a cup of tea, as long as the house rules are obeyed. The broken object acts as a useful icebreaker to initiate conversations, and the setting offers a sense of community that many are finding increasingly hard to come by.
A similar program called Kitchen Share in Portland, Oregon aims to build communities through a system of shared kitchen tools. Once members have registered with a one-time donation, they’re able to “check out” appliances from an online library, which they pick up from friendly volunteers in person. They can then share cooking techniques and recipes, and even save money on costly equipment if cash is tight. As is the case with so many of the groups that combat loneliness, Kitchen Share serves multiple purposes, enriching the users’ lives all around.
Bringing single parents together
Some of America’s most ambitious organizations aim to quash loneliness, tackle poverty, cut down on chores, and improve family life in one fell swoop. Projects like ShareAbode match single parents — predominantly mothers — who want to live among other people in the same position (and, of course, their kids) in Australia. Splitting costs by living together means that these single moms can live in homes they’d never otherwise be able to afford, all while sharing an emotional burden.
A group of single mothers near Washington, DC, were seeking a similar setup, so they moved into a house a formed a “mom commune,” where they live and raise their children together. “We say, ‘It takes a village,’ but who is out there making villages?” one of the mothers told The Washington Post. “That’s what we’re doing.” Together, the women in March 2021 co-founded Main Street Pearl, a cafe that is meant to function as an inclusive community living room. “Designed for connection, Main Street Pearl offers fun, joyful experiences in a safe and welcoming space for young people and their caring grown-ups,” their website states.
Mothers who are raising children alone, or are trapped in an abusive or simply unsupportive relationship, are often so overwhelmed by the day-to-day demands of getting by they’re left with little time or energy to form support networks. By finding these connections, they’re being set up for an easier life in practical terms while also discovering that they’re not alone.
