People really underestimate how much COVID just completely emotionally hamstrung this new generation of young adults. Right in the middle of the most socially important life stages (identity vs role confusion and intimacy vs isolation) and they spent two years of it in literal isolation. The people who were already well into adulthood were hurt by the isolation as well, but at least they have an existing interpersonal framework to try to revert to. These kids have next to nothing.

I think it is really interesting that they use it as practice, it sounds like the arron in the article don’t want to replace all human contact, because he understands the human interaction that is nessesary. Cool insight that he uses it to practice talking.

Introverts no longer have to imagine the cool scenarios they can “test” them with an AI

The bot, designed by a user known only as @Blazeman98, frequently tries to help users engage in CBT — “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,” a talking therapy that helps people manage problems by changing the way they think.

Oh yeah, that CBT. Not the one I thought about.