WSC Loneliness Epidemic

Kodokushi

People die alone and remain undiscovered

Sekai Ichi Kodoku na Nihon no Ojisan

Japan’s old men are the loneliest — psychologist Junko Okamoto

wIncrease in loneliness is tied to traditional family structures falling apart, western style nuclear families — remove social safety net for elders

Karoshi & Hikikomori

Karoshi — death by overwork (little time to find partners and have children)

Hikikomori — (shut ins) people withdraw from social life

Technology is becoming more life like — Sony Aibo, Pepper robot, Telenoid R1, Gatebox, Couger

Sony Aibo — robot dogs emotional bond

Pepper: substitute children or grandchildren

Telenoid R1 — minimalist communication platform

Gatebox — VR companion for young men

Couger — virtual AI assistant

Paro — Robotic seal

Paro, a robotic seal in Tokyo is aimed at providing residents with therapy and social interactions. Residents often talk to the seals, about everyday events such as the weather – serve as conversational starting points between residents. Robots like paro are designed to provide companionship – part of technologies that emerged to combat loneliness

Why robots are bad

• short time

• attachment issues

• removes human interaction

• deter politicians

• toxic resource extraction

how to fix

• paying careworkers more

• improving working conditions

• education

Meta Crisis

Interconnected complex crises that overlap and amplify one another.

economic disparities, debt levels, automation in jobs, digital divide, environmental costs, transaction costs

global impact of temperature rise: agricultural, water, energy,

2 degree increase could lead to:

agricultural disruptions — poor yield, high prices makes the more vulnerable regions most vulnerable

Water scarcity — impacts everything, coastal cities get flooded

increased energy consumption — increased insurance prices for natural disasters, higher living costs, supply chain impacted

implications of depopulation: declining birth rates

a) youth deficit: would have to reshape global population demographics, more than half the world fertility rates have dropped below 2.1

b) Population pyramid inverts: in advanced countries, pension kicks in at 60-67, and is funded by working class 15-64. Now there will be an increased amount of seniors relying on this support, funded by a decreasing amount of youth.

first wave: developed economies, advanced asia + europe and america

second wave: emerging asia, india, latin america africa

c) Support ratios will continue to fall: support ratio: amount of youth compared to seniors relying. In first wave economies — 3.9 — 2 by 2050. second wave economies — 10.3 to 5.7