Tag Archives: talking

Mastering Conversations: Tips to Shine When Talking to Strangers

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Talking to strangers can be daunting, but research shows it has real benefits

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Are chatbots providing the comfort we seek during insecure moments? Many users gravitate towards these virtual companions, creating a surge in AI conversations. However, do these AI interactions truly replace the benefits of genuine human interactions? A recent study suggests otherwise, highlighting that chatting with a real human, even a stranger, offers unique emotional advantages.

While this is encouraging for those lamenting the impact of AI on social interaction, it’s crucial to acknowledge that social anxiety drives many towards chatbots. Fortunately, psychological studies offer effective strategies to boost real-life conversational confidence.

The fascination with AI companionship isn’t new. Back in the 1960s, computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum developed ELIZA, a simple program that generated human-like conversations by turning user statements into questions.

Here’s a brief sample exchange:

User: All men are similar.
Eliza: In what way?
User: They are always bothering us about something.
Eliza: Can you think of a specific example?
User: Well, my boyfriend brought me here.
Eliza: Your boyfriend brought you here.

Despite ELIZA’s rudimentary dialogues, users often felt an unexpected emotional connection (even prompting Weizenbaum’s secretary to request privacy during her session).

Today’s advanced AI chatbots provide far more nuanced conversations. Consequently, the use of AI for friendship is increasing, with about 16% of U.S. adults turning to chatbots. Recent research by the UK Loneliness Charity indicates a similar trend among younger generations experiencing loneliness.

For those wary of AI, the silver lining is that interactions with chatbots can bring fleeting joy. However, whether they alleviate long-term loneliness remains contested. A recent study by Li Ruoning and colleagues at the University of British Columbia aims to address this.

The research team introduced a chatbot named Sam, designed with a ChatGPT-4o mini framework, embodying empathy and a supportive nature. Participants interacted with either Sam or other students over two weeks, tracking their feelings of loneliness.

Talking to a chatbot doesn’t seem to improve loneliness, but talking to a stranger does.

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Throughout the study, participants took a standardized loneliness assessment. Those speaking to fellow students reported significantly reduced feelings of isolation after two weeks, whereas chatbot users exhibited no change compared to diary keepers, reinforcing the conclusion that “reducing loneliness requires more than simulating human emotions.”

How to Spark Meaningful Conversations

While critics may bemoan the rise of AI companionship among young people, I personally empathize with the comfort a non-threatening algorithm can provide. To enhance real-life interactions, consider two insightful books: Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How Small Talk Can Lead to Big Things in Life by Jillian Sundstrom and Hello: The Unexpected Power of Choosing to Connect by Nicholas Epley.

Both authors present research that unravels the power of social connections and how to effectively foster them. A key insight is that the fears surrounding small talk are largely unfounded; engaging with strangers tends to be more enjoyable than anticipated. Surprisingly, warmth and authenticity often outweigh eloquence in these interactions.

Regular practice can recalibrate expectations. In one study, Sandstrom’s team found that participants who started conversations with new people daily for a week became less anxious about rejection and gained confidence in their conversational abilities.

Consistent effort matters. Isolated conversations can feel like flukes, while sustained engagement helps redefine our expectations. Epley encourages actively seeking opportunities to connect: “If you look for it, you may find that happiness can be easily obtained by being a little more sociable.” Identifying cues that prompt interaction can facilitate these opportunities.

The unpredictability of human interactions can often be what makes them so rewarding. Finding connection in another person’s perspective and sharing theirs in return is ultimately the cure for loneliness, which only comes from the intersection of two human souls.

David Robson’s latest book is The Law of Connection: 13 Social Strategies That Will Change Your Life. For questions, reach out at: davidrobson.me/Contact

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Source: www.newscientist.com

NHS Talking Therapy Appears to Be Ineffective for Young Adults

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NHS Talking Therapies: Access to Science-Based Self-Help and Psychotherapy

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A specific type of psychotherapy offered by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) seems to benefit teenagers and young adults with anxiety and depression more than it does for older individuals.

Clinical studies focusing on the effects of psychotherapy on prevalent conditions like anxiety and depression have primarily concentrated on working-age adults; depression often manifests in adolescence or early adulthood, according to Argyris Stringaris from University College London.

In 2008, NHS England initiated a program designed to enhance access to scientifically informed self-help resources and psychotherapy. Currently referred to as NHS talk therapy for anxiety and depression, this initiative has generated a substantial database of anonymous user information, detailing treatments and outcomes.

Stringaris and his colleagues harnessed this data to evaluate the results from over 1.5 million individuals who accessed the therapy between 2015 and 2019. More than 1.2 million participants were aged between 25 and 65, leaving the younger cohort aged 16 to 24.

The researchers assessed changes in symptom severity pre- and post-treatment by utilizing two standard self-assessment tools: a patient health questionnaire-9 and a seven-item general anxiety disorder scale.

The results indicated that these scores exhibited approximately 35% improvement in individuals aged 16 to 24, compared to around 41% for those aged 25 to 65. Young people were roughly 20-25% less likely to be classified as recovered or to achieve significant improvements.

This could potentially result in thousands of young individuals recovering each year if they responded to treatment as effectively as their older counterparts, Stringaris remarks. “It is crucial to consider how mental health services might adapt to provide better care pathways for younger populations.”

Various factors could contribute to these discrepancies, including generational differences influenced by social media and online dating. Data further suggest that younger clients tend to miss scheduled appointments without prior notification, which may lead to poorer outcomes.

The study highlights the imbalances that warrant further exploration, says David Clark from Oxford University. “Research often reveals numerous insights that can be addressed. This paper marks the beginning of what could be a fruitful path ahead.”

Despite this, it remains essential to acknowledge the “gradual benefits” of the therapy. This relates to how clients fare compared to those who do not undergo treatment, he adds. “You start getting [younger] patients who are trying to establish themselves in life and pursue employment, indicating they may not have worse outcomes than older individuals,” Clark says.

Adrian Whittington from NHS England explains that talk therapy assists over a million individuals annually, most receiving treatment within six weeks. “We encourage them to take proactive steps towards care,” he states.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Can you guess the mysterious lost 80’s hit song that everyone is talking about? | Music

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The song is only 17 seconds long and sounds like 80’s Genesis playing at the bottom of a pool. But this bouncy but sonically degraded snippet of pop has become one of the internet’s biggest and most enduring musical mysteries.

This clip was uploaded in 2021 by a person named Carl92 who wanted to see if anyone could identify it. “I don’t remember its origins,” he wrote on his site called WatZatSong, adding, “I found it among a bunch of very old files on a DVD backup… it feels kind of nostalgic.” But even after this 17-second sample of his was posted on his Reddit, a powerful pop culture spirit is rarely lost, not a single person was able to identify the song or the artist.

This quest captured people’s imaginations. Last June it was my own subreddit – Named after the song’s unofficial title “Everyone Knows That (Ulterior Motives)”, or EKT, and currently has approximately 27,000 members. And recently, TikTok has become popular, with predictable results. Users flooded me with unhelpful comments like “Have you tried Shazaming?” which is like telling someone who lost their keys to check their pockets.

Bass, a music journalist from the Netherlands, is one of the subreddit’s moderators. He attributes the explosion in this exploration to a cultural shift. “We live in an age where knowledge is freely available and music can be consumed with few restrictions,” he says. “Music that was lost in the pre-internet era can be very interesting to young people because it’s something very foreign to them and they can’t easily look up songs.”

20 year old content creator with fame kylie bogley is one such convert. “We’re in the prime of a lost medium that will be viewed with great fondness in the future, and I’m grateful to be a part of it,” she says.

She is EKT. “Lost Wave” This movement collects dusty and forgotten songs, perhaps recorded from the radio or buried in folders of old MP3s, and attempts to give them names and artists. “There is another unconfirmed song and it is called “The most mysterious song on the internet‘ The mystery has remained unsolved for nearly 20 years. But I think EKT has outgrown its popularity,” says Bogley. “I don’t think it’s possible that we can’t find an artist.”

One obstacle is that the sound quality is so poor that no one can fully agree with the lyrics. There is even some doubt as to whether the singer is male or female. However, internet sleuths have identified the drum machine and synthesizer used for this song, most likely a LinnDrum and a Yamaha DX7. This narrows down the release date to his 1983 years and beyond. They also analyzed the background frequencies and figured out the format of the DVD. Apparently Carl92 was playing. Beyond that, forensic analysis was unable to locate it.

Dozens of similar-sounding artists (Roxette, Savage Garden, the one who sang the theme song for the Pokémon TV series) have all been asked if it’s their song, but no luck was. Unsurprisingly, misinformation also spread. Bass recalled a Redditor he claimed to have heard at a McDonald’s in Poland. “This person fabricated an email from a company to trick the search community into believing we were trying to find a song,” he says. “I think that’s the point of creativity.”


This song may have been an unreleased demo or an advertising jingle. Bass’ theory is that the piece was created in the United States for a movie or advertisement and “ended up on his VHS tape.” Someone had been recording audio in his room with his VHS tape playing in the background, backed up the file to his DVD, and forgot about it. ” Some think it may have come from Japan. Searchers are now trying to contact an unknown singer named White Mike Johnny Grove, who has a “strikingly similar voice,” Bogley said. Please pay attention to this column.

As for Carl 92, he disappeared, probably out of fear that online detectives would search him for clues. Some say he must have staged the whole thing, but maybe it’s some of the music he generated using his AI? If so, he could have directed tens of thousands of people. You’ve succeeded in destroying it. However, there is no evidence that he was not real. The despondent tone of his near-final message, which came just a few months after he posted EKT, certainly rings true. “It’s a dead end,” he wrote. “I just lost interest in that song.” But the rest of the world is just getting started.

Source: www.theguardian.com