“At Christmas, I spend my time surfing the Internet.” “For the holidays, I will have an avatar.” Taking refuge in the virtual world is many people’s plan to avoid the holiday season. Now artificial intelligence is also joining the party, integrated with curious virtual animals that could help emotionally manage Christmas stress.
In France, two million elderly people live in isolation and more than 750,000 in a state of social death (they almost never interact with others). This alarming figure, constantly increasing, reveals the violence of the loneliness these people face, particularly at the end of the year, according to the charity Little Brothers of the Poor (Little Brothers of the Poor).
For others, however, solitude is a form of escape during this period, which brings them more pain than pleasure. “Christmas brings with it the social obligation to love one another. We must live up to the idealized image of the holidays, full of conviviality,” explains psychologist Sébastien Dupont. When the standard of joy is imposed on everyone, casualties inevitably arise.
To get out of this situation, nothing better than discreetly opening a virtual exit door. Many – if not most – will spend Christmas scrolling on their iPhones, watching the food of Instagram and TikTok, only to realize that everyone seems to be bored or that parties are always better at someone else’s house. This holiday “compulsive scrolling,” the act of endlessly scrolling through your feed to find content, is sometimes described as “morbid scrolling.”
With or without parties, the use of social networks has not only intensified, but also become pathological, reproducing mechanisms similar to those of addiction, according to a study published in ScienceDirect, which calls this problem Social Network Use Disorder (TURS). This behavior can have significant repercussions on mental health, increasing levels of stress and anxiety, according to another study on the impacts of short videos, carried out by researchers at Griffith University, Australia.
Tamagoshi advanced technology
To bring back a little softness, what could be better than a friendly AI? Some brands promise a new weapon against loneliness, such as the Ropet Kamomo mini-robot, which emits gentle heat capable of simulating the sensation of hugging a living being, which is particularly comforting on a lonely Christmas Eve.
The robot’s eyes display objects or emojis related to what it “sees”: the Christmas tree, the gifts. He also dances to music, recognizes faces, and can bond with the person he spends the most time with. Ropet opens his arms for a hug when he senses a negative emotion – which can serve as emotional support at Christmas dinner.
Another proposal is the Moflin doll, which is already causing a sensation. Created in Japan, a country known for its fascination with robots and virtual realities, it is incredibly cute and resembles a modern Tamagotchi, recognizing its owner by voice and gestures. Frequent cuddles make him happy and calm, while neglect causes stress and even sadness.
“We have to accept that Christmas can be painful”
However, no one is really obligated to celebrate, much less exchange gifts.
For many people, Christmas can represent an end-of-year psychological torment. This is what we can see on the Reddit social network forums dedicated to the “Christmas haters” community.
While some recount real trauma in their posts, others express a deep fear of spending Christmas with family. Everyone ends up regretting the loneliness that this situation causes.
“There is a social imposition, a social and commercial pressure to be happy during this period and not be alone, which leads single people to isolate themselves even more, causing a strong feeling of shame and, in some cases, unjustified feelings of abandonment, failure in life or of not having been able to create enough connections,” explains psychoanalyst Sophie Braun.
Avatars or Christmas photos
Another option is virtual parties. They occur online, through the use of avatars, between people alone, living abroad or living in digital communities. In the virtual world, there are no clear limits to consumption.
It is also possible to spend Christmas Eve playing video games or watching a series, in isolation — in the safety of your home; watch holiday streams on Twitch or YouTube to feel some virtual Christmas spirit; or participate in video calls with friends and family, with games, competitions or meals shared remotely.
In any case, the avatars or profile photos of the participants in these celebrations generally exude the magic of Christmas, with Santa Claus, elves and Christmas sweaters.
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