In 1927, the director Fritz Lang stunned the world of cinema, with the first robot that appeared on the big screen in his film “Metropolis”, parts of which could be seen years later in the music video “Radio Gaga” by the band Queen. The robot, a humanoid named “Maria”, was created to sow chaos in the dystopian world of Metropolis, and its image was considered iconic and one of the spectacular visual achievements of the era. Years later she inspired the design of humanoid robots.
A few weeks ago, Elon Musk presented his “Maria”: the robot “Optimus”, owned by the Tesla company, demonstrated phenomenal abilities that until recently seemed fictional. At the launch event, the robot can be seen walking and moving its hands while conversing in a human way with those around it and handing them gift bags. Musk promised that next year the robots will be on the market and will show a series of impressive capabilities, such as going for a walk with the dog, babysitting the children, helping with cleaning the house and mowing the lawn, and also just managing a mental conversation.
If this sounds imaginary to you, it turns out that the future has long been here: the artificial intelligence that more and more Israelis are using communicates with a voice assistant that sounds just like a person. For example, the Chat GPT platform allows its subscribers to chat with the voice assistant in any language, in any accent, in any possible way, and the resulting result simulates a conversation with a human being.
But alongside the positive sides of the development of technology, experts illuminate a darker side of the entry of robots into the market: the danger of loneliness. If the daily tasks we perform together with family members, friends or neighbors are performed by robots, will our human connections weaken? Will we reach a world where robots will not only be tools for physical work but also our only friends?
Hungry for touch
Many studies have already emphasized the close connection between the advancement of technology and the feeling of loneliness. In an era where a significant part of the interactions are carried out through screens, such as on computers or smartphones, a sharp increase in the feeling of loneliness was found – and especially among young people. The robots, whose main purpose is to reduce the physical load, may actually deepen the feeling of social isolation.
“The biggest damage in the world of technology and robotics is that it will come at the expense of other things,” says Dr. Eidit Gutman, a psychologist from Tel Aviv University. “When children from the age of zero are exposed to robots and get used to them, they will lose minimal skills that may prevent them from being able to talk on the phone or just have a small conversation. We already see this today: children know how to send icons, record a small monologue on WhatsApp, but have difficulty creating interactions, mingling, expressing feelings and having a long conversation. Their culture is becoming less and less verbal, and communication is becoming shorter and shorter.”
“The robots may exacerbate the loneliness of humans,” warns Dr. Moran Shagiv, a psychiatry expert from Asuta Medical Centers. “Consideration, reciprocity, understanding the other’s point of view, all these are things that need to be practiced, and in the case of children – learned. A robot cannot offer actual touch, creative connection, or a sense of caring to another person. Humanity still needs the oxytocin hormone, which is released in contact with a living being, and the challenge of trying to surpass yourself and get out of your comfort zone to learn new things and develop as a person. Erikson, Piaget, Winnicott – all great psychologists – saw actual friction with peers as a necessary requirement for human development. Contact with a robot does not provide this vital counterpoint.”
Dr. Shagiv explains that a feeling of loneliness functions similarly to a feeling of hunger: “When you have enough company you don’t feel it, and when you don’t have it, it intensifies and pushes you to look for a solution that will appease it. Just as the body signals a lack of nutrients, the loneliness that triggers a need for other people is also anchored in our biology. Isolated people are at an increased risk of mortality, which has been compared to the risk of smoking cigarettes. And vice versa: interventions that encourage community and interpersonal closeness improve physical and of course mental health.
“Loneliness is oppressive. The need for others is neither dependency nor indulgence but human nature. Sometimes children have trouble correctly identifying the feeling or naming it, and complain of boredom or a general bad feeling. Even in adults, the feeling that you do not belong to the community and social group stimulates the pain areas in the brain. Lonely people experience more pain, and are also at increased risk of developing diseases – and as a result, their frequency of referrals to doctors is higher. Ask yourself, who can I talk to about something important that is happening to me or bothering me? Who am I always happy to see and would like to hear him or her and share what I’m going through? If there is one such person, and he is approachable to you and feels the same way about you, that is usually enough to protect you from a feeling of loneliness and its negative consequences.”
eye contact
In the era of technological development, the addiction to screens and now the robots lurking at the door, loneliness in Dr. Segev’s opinion will get worse: “Our children will continue not to meet with their friends and get stuck in front of screens, the robots will check on us at home, the number of single people will continue to rise and the proportion of people who will be capable of true creativity will gradually decrease . People may resort to alcohol, drugs or painkillers to reduce the mental pain caused by loneliness. Even risky behavior, such as reckless driving, may appear as a means of distracting oneself from the pain or converting it into another powerful emotion. Technological loneliness may also lead to an increase in depression, anxiety and suicide, which are already seen at younger and younger ages. Alienation, falling out of frameworks and a fatalistic feeling, are all linked to the experience of being cut off from meaningful interpersonal relationships.”
According to Dr. Gutman, there is no way to fight technology, but the education system and parents will have to take into account the media and verbal damage resulting from exposure to screens, and in the future also to robotic technology: “The children will need digital literacy. Try to live alongside it, but also oblige them in interpersonal interaction. Robots are not human, and they will not replace the human connection. They can clean the house, do mechanical work, but they cannot relieve loneliness. The personal, spontaneous contact and social connections are necessary for our continued normal existence. We are already seeing an increase in the phenomenon of narcissism. The lack of eye contact with the toddler, when the parent is engrossed in the cell phone, significantly harms the normal development of the baby and the child and may turn people into those who see others as an object and need people to adore them while they do not see the other.”
The French are coming
At the height of the Corona period, when most Israelis were confined to their homes in isolation, I was asked many times by those around me how to deal with despair. One of my recommendations was to take advantage of the momentum, turn the lemon into lemonade and learn a new language. Many studies have already shown that learning a language is not only enjoyable and has a valuable and educational contribution, but also directly affects the brain and may probably delay degeneration and maybe even dementia.
Today, with the proliferation of social networks that appeal to teachers who upload educational content in every subject, it is much easier to learn a language. In recent years, with the significant increase in the number of immigrants from France to Israel due to rising anti-Semitism, the interest of many Israelis in learning French has increased. The Tiktok platform is full of dozens of teachers who teach the ins and outs of the romantic language. Two of the most successful of them are Alex and Tom, who run the successful AtFrenchies TikTok account.
The two met during their university studies in Paris, where they discovered their shared love of the French language and culture. In 2020, in the midst of the Corona, they launched the Tiktok account where they focus on learning everyday French with an emphasis on slang and popular expressions, using humor and a lighthearted approach. The videos include explanations of common phrases, profanity and tips to improve pronunciation and grammar. Following the huge success, they founded a school to learn French and are very popular with almost 2.5 million followers and over 60 million likes. Knowledge is power, language is a gift to the mind. On the way there, you should also stop by Tiktok.
Really smart TV
If you have a smart TV at home, you can say goodbye to the cumbersome converter box and simplify your viewing experience. Almost all TV channels offer dedicated apps that can be downloaded directly to the smart TV. This way you can watch broadcasts for free or connect to a paid subscription to one of the companies, without the need for an additional converter.
All you have to do is connect the smart TV to the home internet network, enter the app store built into the TV and download the apps for the channels or content providers you are interested in. For example, apps like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, or local services like Cellcom TV or Partner TV, are available at the click of a button.
The switch to apps makes it possible to save space in the dresser without the need for an additional converter, reduce the number of remotes in the house and centralize all control in one place. In addition, the smart TV gives access to a huge variety of content through various apps, including streaming, news and games. However, it is worth considering that connecting the apps to the TV via Wi-Fi can sometimes be slower than connecting via a physical converter, especially in “heavy” apps.
By the way, while companies like Cellcom TV, Partner TV or Amazon Prime offer fast and convenient interfaces, YES is left behind with a slow and outdated interface on smart TVs. The users are forced to go through an opening screen where they have to choose which of the household members is watching, which complicates the user experience. Despite our contacting the company several times regarding this problem, we have not yet received a clear answer regarding the repair of the interface. rope.