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I think Papa solves a legit need. By the time we (ie millennials) are old, we'll be so damn connected, hopefully loneliness will be low. But between now and 30

by gtbcb 8y ago

I think Papa solves a legit need. By the time we (ie millennials) are old, we'll be so damn connected, hopefully loneliness will be low. But between now and 30 years from now, there are millions of seniors suffering from loneliness, and I think Papa could help with the problem. I've definitely thought about this exact idea before.

88 8y ago
Some would say millennials are the loneliest of all; overwhelmed by superficial interactions but lacking in meaningful relationships.
beaconstudios 8y ago
it's attempting to use technology to solve a social problem - that we don't value family or community any more. The root problem is that people just shove their parents in a home as soon as they get old, and don't bother to visit them.
- lmm 8y ago
  Using technology to solve a social problem is usually cheaper and more effective than other ways of trying to solve it.
  - beaconstudios 8y ago
    cheaper? yes. easier to approach? yes. More effective? hell no. Technical solutions to social problems are papering over cracks in our society at best. They trick us into thinking the problem is "solved" where we've just hidden the problem from view. Do you think you can really solve the loneliness problem for seniors by setting up a skype chat with a complete- or near-stranger? There's no depth to that relationship, no intimacy or realness, it's just more superficial social interaction. People need more than just a social check-in with random college students to feel fulfilled. volunteering to visit older people is already a thing. Yet loneliness in seniors continues to be a problem. Perhaps the direction we're taking as a society is wholly wrong? It's hardly the only social symptom.
    - lmm 8y ago
      > Do you think you can really solve the loneliness problem for seniors by setting up a skype chat with a complete- or near-stranger? I think there's a better chance of solving it with that than by looking at "the direction we're taking as a society". (Note I'm not saying a good chance) > There's no depth to that relationship, no intimacy or realness, it's just more superficial social interaction. What does that even mean?
      - beaconstudios 8y ago
        > I think there's a better chance of solving it with that than by looking at "the direction we're taking as a society". (Note I'm not saying a good chance) as I say, we can use tech to paper over the cracks. That's better than nothing, but it's not a great solution. We don't really have a way to solve societal issues yet. > What does that even mean? Do you think superficial social interactions relieve loneliness? Think casual bullshitting/small talk at work, on facebook, and so on. In my experience, the thing that takes away loneliness is real interaction with people you're close with. Talking about real issues that matter to you. It's basically what therapy is a substitute for. Do you think senior citizens talking to college students is going to provide this kind of deeply personal interaction, or something more superficial? I suspect the latter.
Quarrelsome 8y ago
How the hell do you "sell" that to young people? Its never going to be organic or approaching the sort of scale that startups need to make their efforts "worthwhile". It seems very much like a slow-burn project which is often anathema for the startup scene.

by gtbcb 8y ago

88 8y ago

Some would say millennials are the loneliest of all; overwhelmed by superficial interactions but lacking in meaningful relationships.

beaconstudios 8y ago

it's attempting to use technology to solve a social problem - that we don't value family or community any more. The root problem is that people just shove their parents in a home as soon as they get old, and don't bother to visit them.

lmm 8y ago
Using technology to solve a social problem is usually cheaper and more effective than other ways of trying to solve it.
- beaconstudios 8y ago
  cheaper? yes. easier to approach? yes. More effective? hell no. Technical solutions to social problems are papering over cracks in our society at best. They trick us into thinking the problem is "solved" where we've just hidden the problem from view. Do you think you can really solve the loneliness problem for seniors by setting up a skype chat with a complete- or near-stranger? There's no depth to that relationship, no intimacy or realness, it's just more superficial social interaction. People need more than just a social check-in with random college students to feel fulfilled. volunteering to visit older people is already a thing. Yet loneliness in seniors continues to be a problem. Perhaps the direction we're taking as a society is wholly wrong? It's hardly the only social symptom.
  - lmm 8y ago
    > Do you think you can really solve the loneliness problem for seniors by setting up a skype chat with a complete- or near-stranger? I think there's a better chance of solving it with that than by looking at "the direction we're taking as a society". (Note I'm not saying a good chance) > There's no depth to that relationship, no intimacy or realness, it's just more superficial social interaction. What does that even mean?
    - beaconstudios 8y ago
      > I think there's a better chance of solving it with that than by looking at "the direction we're taking as a society". (Note I'm not saying a good chance) as I say, we can use tech to paper over the cracks. That's better than nothing, but it's not a great solution. We don't really have a way to solve societal issues yet. > What does that even mean? Do you think superficial social interactions relieve loneliness? Think casual bullshitting/small talk at work, on facebook, and so on. In my experience, the thing that takes away loneliness is real interaction with people you're close with. Talking about real issues that matter to you. It's basically what therapy is a substitute for. Do you think senior citizens talking to college students is going to provide this kind of deeply personal interaction, or something more superficial? I suspect the latter.

Quarrelsome 8y ago

How the hell do you "sell" that to young people? Its never going to be organic or approaching the sort of scale that startups need to make their efforts "worthwhile". It seems very much like a slow-burn project which is often anathema for the startup scene.