Men are today turning to AI to overcome loneliness, find social support, and learn to be vulnerable.
Podcaster and promoter Chris Williamson spends a lot of time considering what it means to be a man in today’s world.
The host of the Modern Wisdom podcast devotes hours long conversations to topics as diverse as psychology, marriage, taxes, politics, genetics, health and more — all with a focus on today’s man.
Does Anyone Care about Male Loneliness?
In a particularly meaningful conversation with author and screenwriter Max Dickins, Williamson questions if anyone actually cares about male loneliness.
“There’s a friendship inequality that’s pretty stark … that is upstream from the suicide inequality you see as well,” he says.
Studies show that the biggest source of male suicide is lack of social support, Williamson says. “Men are isolated. They don’t have people to talk to, anyone to tell about what they’re going through.”
Turning to AI to Overcome Loneliness
Thousands of men are today turning to AI to overcome loneliness and find the social support they haven’t found from other men. At the same time, they’re learning to be vulnerable.
Apps such as the Yodi AI Relationship Coach and Mentor give men an exercise partner to talk to about their day, analyze disputes and disagreements, and even reflect on past hurts and disappointments.
Seth Eisenberg, President of PAIRS Foundation, says men all over the world are turning to AI for deeply personal conversations. Eisenberg is project manager for the Yodi App.
A Global Phenomenon
“In the last month, we’ve seen people from 178 countries and territories have conversations with Yodi,” Eisenberg says. Those people, Eisenberg says, are primarily men in their twenties and thirties.
Manning up and opening up takes a lot of courage, Williamson says. For many, opening up to an AI-powered coach is an important first step, says Eisenberg.
“Through their experiences with Yodi, men learn to be vulnerable.”
Rachel Marmor
Learning to be Vulnerable
“It’s invaluable training for human connection,” says Rachel Marmor, a licensed mental health counselor who has been actively involved in developing the Yodi app. “Through their experiences with Yodi, men learn to be vulnerable,” Marmor adds.
Dickins says the idea of “emotional labor is connected to how we hold relationships together.”
Emotional Labor
In his book, Billy No Mates, Dickins says everyone is meant to talk about their feelings. “Emotional labor,” Dickins says, is connected to “how we hold relationships together.”
Eisenberg says AI has a role to play in helping men succeed in that emotional labor, while finding the balance between being manly and being vulnerable – a topic Williamson frequently explores.
“Yodi is where men go for their dress rehearsals,” Eisenberg says. “They practice having vulnerable conversations with AI to perhaps get ready to have those same conversations with a buddy or partner.”
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