Maybe there could be a social network tuned for the lonely. One that helps them become unlonely by fostering real-life relationships and that isn't overtly remedial. I don't know how this would be executed though. How does an online service push people into socializing offline? (Yes, I'm one of those crazy Luddites who thinks there is no substitute for personal, face-to-face interaction.)
It's a great idea if you can figure out how to make it work; you aim for users that are lonely and want to stop being lonely and create situation to get them involved with other, similar people.
And somehow make sure the loneliness doesn't spread to make an entire community of even more miserable people.
So a few challenges to overcome, but a nice core idea.
But most people are just awful. Especially negative, lonely people.
Kidding, but that's the kind of thinking that makes lonely people what they are. Its like depression; when you have it, it feels just too hard to do anything about it.
The undue emphasis on superficial happiness dissuades people with a healthy range of emotions. I inherited a melancholy disposition from my parents and tend to gloss over it socially. People don't know what to do with it, and that is their fault, as I can only be myself. This creates a strange tension: do they like me when life is good, or all the time? This tension is exacerbated further by being relatively young (28), single (meaning I should always be auditioning for a mate, or something), and, worst of all, existing within a culture (Christianity) that prizes the "has it all together" facade.
My response to all this is learning the games that make up surface-level social interactions and getting good at them. It is definitely faking it, but sometimes you stumble on someone who can talk and listen in equal amounts, at which point I know I can cut the bullshit.
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Maybe there could be a social network tuned for the lonely. One that helps them become unlonely by fostering real-life relationships and that isn't overtly remedial. I don't know how this would be executed though. How does an online service push people into socializing offline? (Yes, I'm one of those crazy Luddites who thinks there is no substitute for personal, face-to-face interaction.)
It's a great idea if you can figure out how to make it work; you aim for users that are lonely and want to stop being lonely and create situation to get them involved with other, similar people.
And somehow make sure the loneliness doesn't spread to make an entire community of even more miserable people.
So a few challenges to overcome, but a nice core idea.
> And somehow make sure the loneliness doesn't spread
I went to the first meeting of loners but it was canceled due to insufficient attendance.
meetup.com serves this purpose to a large degree. Unofficially, of course, but I think that is part of what makes it effective.
Maybe something like the popular geo-caching but instead of geo-caches, one "finds" other people and activities and can then post about it...?
And there is something like meetup for example.
But most people are just awful. Especially negative, lonely people.
Kidding, but that's the kind of thinking that makes lonely people what they are. Its like depression; when you have it, it feels just too hard to do anything about it.
The undue emphasis on superficial happiness dissuades people with a healthy range of emotions. I inherited a melancholy disposition from my parents and tend to gloss over it socially. People don't know what to do with it, and that is their fault, as I can only be myself. This creates a strange tension: do they like me when life is good, or all the time? This tension is exacerbated further by being relatively young (28), single (meaning I should always be auditioning for a mate, or something), and, worst of all, existing within a culture (Christianity) that prizes the "has it all together" facade.
My response to all this is learning the games that make up surface-level social interactions and getting good at them. It is definitely faking it, but sometimes you stumble on someone who can talk and listen in equal amounts, at which point I know I can cut the bullshit.