Christmas Blues and loneliness, beware of too 'close' relationships with chatbots and Artificial Intelligence

"I'm in the room with Claude. Or if you prefer with ChatGPT or Copilot'. Whichever AI-based chatbot one chooses, there is no doubt that the device increasingly becomes an instrument of companionship and introspection. So much so, in the post-pandemic era, that it has become a reason for closure towards the world around us. At risk would be, above all, young people, who are among the greatest frequenters of friendships and virtual relationships with AI partners, in a population that already includes 810 active users per week. And who in many cases rely on these virtual relationships simply looking for companionship or perhaps real cures for loneliness. The reason for the focus on tomorrow's adults is linked. Raising the alarm, going so far as to point out that 'we may be witnessing a generation learning to form emotional bonds with entities lacking human-like capacities for empathy, caring, and relational attunement' are Susan Shelmerdine of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London and Matthew Nour, of the department of psychiatry at Oxford University, from the pages of the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal.

'The issue of loneliness is on the rise and, although it is not a pathology in itself, it is often related to the development of mental disorders, such as depression,' explains Antonio Vita, president of the Italian Society of Psychiatry and professor of psychiatry at the University of Brescia. The answer to this loneliness is manifold and increasingly comes through social media and, today, also through Artificial Intelligence tools. There is,' Vita continues, 'a reciprocal relationship between the perception of loneliness and the use of these means: it is difficult for now to establish with certainty which is the cause and which the effect, but we can say that the use of these technologies does not improve loneliness and, in some cases, maintains or amplifies it. The reason is that the virtual relationship tends to be more of a support than a confrontation and, above all, it can replace - rather than flank - a real, open and concrete sociality'. On the other hand, according to a note in the magazine, in the UK, almost half of adults say they feel lonely occasionally, sometimes, always or often. But above all, almost one in ten would be victims of this chronic loneliness, which can find precisely in the relationship with chatbots an outlet. Suffice it to say that research has shown that almost one in three teenagers use AI partners for social interaction and that 10% of teenagers consider AI conversations more satisfying than human ones. The result: one in three teens would indicate a preference for virtual companions over physical friends when it comes to serious topics.

With such an 'epidemiological' situation, one would think that it is precisely during holiday periods that situations of closure to the outside world intensify. For some, the Christmas break results in negative emotions and, mainly, sadness/malancholy, anxiety/stress, boredom. This phenomenon, known as the Christmas Blues, leads to widespread emotional distress during the festive season. Therefore, it is precisely at this stage that attention must be paid to compulsive attachment to virtual friends. "The Christmas and festive period is a delicate time: if real relationships are rarefied or conflicting, the feeling of loneliness can become acute and the attempt to 'substitute' it with a virtual relationship risks making the situation worse," says the president of the Italian psychiatrists. It is a phenomenon that we think is typical of the elderly - and for the elderly it remains a tragedy - but today it is also widespread among the young and very young: in the 15-24 age group, from the data available, it is the one that has recorded the most marked growth in recent years'.

The key to interpreting these phenomena, however, is not only negative. The report's authors themselves point out how AI could perhaps favour the accessibility of real 'digital therapies' capable of improving support for those suffering from loneliness. The important thing is to proceed with studies to define the numerical perimeter of the use of these tools (and not only among young people) as well as to better understand 'the mechanisms underlying the potential risks of human-chatbot interactions, in order to develop clinical skills in evaluating the use of artificial intelligence by patients - as the experts write'. In short, it takes time and clinical trials to find positive aspects in the relationship between humans, AI and chatbots. Although there is obviously hope for this strategic approach as well, focusing on combating the 'Christmas Blues' and, more generally, the feeling of loneliness that can arise around the holidays. Experts, however, curb enthusiasm. 'In reality, the use of chatbots for therapeutic purposes, sometimes hypothesised, is still discouraged today and may prove counterproductive,' Vita concludes. In fact, it risks reinforcing isolation and activating a vicious circle that leads to progressive closure. Getting out of it is possible, but it requires awareness and, when necessary, a request for help: specialist intervention can also be very effective'.