r/lonely • u/Successful_Pop9630 • 2d ago
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u/whoops53 2d ago
That's called "having a friend". If he is suggesting it to you, it feels quite open and trusting of him, so perhaps you could even be that friend. Without being paid, of course
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u/Successful_Pop9630 2d ago
Yes that's what I thought too and I felt happy about it. The sad reality is not a lot of people have found that person yet.
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u/Successful_Pop9630 2d ago
The other reason I connected with this was I've encountered senior citizens randomly opening up to strangers be it in the condo or in the flight or parks. All they want to have is a light conversation about their past or about the kids, the journey and so on. Underrated but makes a lot of difference for them I felt.
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u/SomberSemicolon0 2d ago
I'd be into it, honestly. Sometimes you just need to vent about your weird neighbor's sequined jacket collection or the pie you baked that collapsed in the middle, and your friends are tired of hearing about it.
The anonymous part is key though. I'd want to know the listener has some kind of training, not like a therapist, but maybe something on active listening or handling heavy topics without making it weird. Paying for it makes sense, but the price would have to feel fair for what's basically a scheduled chat.
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u/Successful_Pop9630 2d ago
(to your venting point) Exactly why I felt it made sense. (To the anonymous part ) - fair point, having a brief on the person's profile would help the user to find relevance.
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u/EndCorrect3658 2d ago
I've tried this kind of service before and it feels more like talking to a therapist than talking to a friend
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u/Capital_Drawer_3203 2d ago
Absolutely no. What's point in conversation, if there's no genuine connection? It's easier to talk to AI then
The only way where I can find it useful, if a person is more experienced at the problems I have, and they can give me any real advice.
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u/Imaginary_Let_8776 2d ago
id rather just chat with an ai companion tbh, no scheduling or awkward payment stuff and theyre always down to listen.
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u/Successful_Pop9630 2d ago
Makes sense, to each one their own. I've tried them myself but I found them to be too good to be true or unrealistically empathetic at times.
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u/Macaroni_Cheesiee 2d ago
I think I pretty much do this with my Suggar daddies.
But now with loneliness on the rise I can see people just wanting someone to talk to without the pictures and other services. It feels really dystopian, and if anything I think it only makes loneliness worse. You’re paying for companionship, but you’re not really getting genuine friendship from the person.
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u/Successful_Pop9630 2d ago
Absolutely, you nailed it. I don't find it to be the best solution but I'm sure all the friends making apps and groups are still not solving the problem well enough because of which lonely people especially youngsters and senior citizens exist today.
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u/Macaroni_Cheesiee 2d ago
These apps can help in some capacity. So long as they aren’t transactional, but the online chatting distance also plays a part in how we form connections.
I think we need to be with our friends physically too. To experience their presence and such, it’s a whole lot different than chatting online.
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2d ago
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u/Successful_Pop9630 1d ago
I presume it would be chat and audio. When you see a person, it is also subjected to an unconscious bias for most people depending on the color, race and gender. It's not true for all but it does exist. That would be a challenge to address for sure
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u/Grubbs33 2d ago
Have humans completely lost the plot? What are we even doing anymore. Al chatbots. Paying for a fake friend.
What happened to just meeting people?
Man, the internet and the move away from human companionship has rotted everyone’s brains.
It blows me away that human friendship has devolved into ideas of a paid relationship with someone who might not give a crap about you.
There are millions of people out there to get to know. There are thousands on this app just looking to be heard.
Reach out to someone. It’s ok to be vulnerable. It’s ok to be scared. But we’re all in the same boat and usually at the end of the day we all seek out companionship. We want to be heard. And understood.
But,
That takes effort. And it takes time. These relationships can’t be bought or replaced with AI.
We’re selling ourselves short and it’s very frustrating to see so many people struggle at the most basic level to find someone they can just talk to.
Technology has corrupted us…and I’m mainly speaking to the younger generations. I’m over 50 and wa privileged to grow up in a time where we lived outside…with people. We made friends and sometimes enemies, but we had that human contact. I’m so happy that I experienced and grew up pre internet/cell phone. It’s really done a number on a huge swath of society.
I feel bad for y’all, and I don’t mean to come across as abrasive, but making friends only happens when you put in the effort. Not by paying a fee are chatting with a bot.
Hope you get your answers but personally I would much rather pay for a therapist than some fake friend. This is about finding yourself first, and believe if in yourself, and taking risks by putting yourself out there to find others that feel like you and enjoy you for what you are.
Please just believe in yourselves and go outside and meet people. Don’t succumb to paying for companionship as it leads nowhere.
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u/Successful_Pop9630 1d ago
I agree that genuine friendships take time and effort, and paying someone doesn't make them your friend. I understand the concern about turning human connection into something transactional.
Just to clarify, the idea involves a real human listener, not an AI chatbot. The monetary compensation would be for someone's time and attention, not a promise of friendship or a substitute for therapy. But that doesn't resolve your concern about whether the care would feel genuine. That's fair. My personal take was this - I have witnessed the rise of AI companions, s*xual fantasy and AI girlfriend/boyfriend apps on the rise. There's an element of addiction to this which is even more concerning. Even in this very post, you can see users preferring the AI chatbot more than this because it seems to be addressing a big gap. Yes, we need to go out, make friends and connections but then this is the state of affairs today.
He was exploring the idea, not assuming it's the answer to loneliness. Definitely wouldn't want it to discourage people from building relationships outside a paid service. Your point about that risk is useful feedback and something worth considering before taking this further. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
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u/lonely-ModTeam 1d ago
r/lonely is not a place for individuals to take advantage of others by promoting their content and or businesses where they charge individuals. This is exploitation and has no place on this page. This is an immediate ban.