Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people • Hacker News Board

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#21

Post by zx321 » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:20 AM UTC

dijit wrote: post #20

Razengan wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What exacerbates it is that modern venues for finding someone to connect with, are all heavily controlled and/or monetized. Services like OKCupid actually actively hinder relevant matches unless you pay them and keep paying them. Places like Reddit are hit and miss, heavily dependent on the time you post, and you not only have to risk your privacy to find good matches, you have to gain the approval of everyone else w…

For some of us IRC never went away. It’s my primary social outlet, and I’m closing in on 30. Maybe I’m a bit special as I moved countries a fair bit in my 20s, and making friends in adulthood is difficult. Shameless plug; if you want to join us (we are roughly 400 people) then the network is ircs://irc.drk.sc:6697/#darkscience

Please be careful! Posting links to these kind of small communities on much larger ones has a way of diluting what makes them so great in the first place - or at least severely irritating the regulars.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#22

Post by AstralStorm » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:25 AM UTC

vmarius wrote: post #18

furi wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans talking to other humans in the local area and doing things together exists all over the world and has done since the dawn of time, what part of it isn't scalable?

Thanks furi, good point. Humans indeed talked to each other and have done things together since the dawn of time. But the problem is that our way of living has changed significantly during recent years. Most of the people simply don't have the possibility to gather around and talk about their life/problems. It is becoming a luxury to have a live talk with a real person. I am sure that the above mentioned organization…

1) Not always possible? Attack the reason why. It's often either work or study, which can be changed given enough political pressure, or kids, which sometimes can be included, sometimes not

2) Undesirable? Please elaborate.

3) Transportation widens local for the rich to a wide area for few day trips, which is a scheduling problem. For a day trip, mark a circle with 8h travel diameter. It is relatively far, yet here we are, anonymous in cities.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#23

Post by AstralStorm » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:27 AM UTC

zwaps wrote: post #15

cybersnowflake wrote: post #7

loneliness is a much bigger problem for older people. why not start there?

The article states it is a large problem for young people. How do you know it is a bigger problem for old people?

It is one of those problems which has a tendency to cumulate. Fewer friends you have earlier, fewer you have later in life still.

Well connected people tend to stay that way.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#24

Post by AstralStorm » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:29 AM UTC

vermarish wrote: post #5

ikeyany wrote: post #2

It sounds like they're tackling isolation, not loneliness. There is a vital distinction between the two.

For clarification, I assume the opposite of isolation would be connectedness? And what would be the opposite of loneliness?

Friendship or more.

Of which not being isolated is an important component, necessary but not sufficient.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#25

Post by cybersnowflake » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:33 AM UTC

zwaps wrote: post #15

cybersnowflake wrote: post #7

loneliness is a much bigger problem for older people. why not start there?

The article states it is a large problem for young people. How do you know it is a bigger problem for old people?

common sense and observation, its relatively easier for a person overall to make connections during schooling years. Once people pair up and disperse into the workplace and especially after they start up families it becomes much more difficult for the odd man out.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#26

Post by holstvoogd » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:36 AM UTC

zwaps wrote: post #13

vmarius wrote: post #6

It is better than nothing, but is not scalable. We at nothing_here building a tool which will help fight loneliness online. (I have removed the link, not really trying to sell anything to anyone)

Good on you, but i think chat apps are not the solution. For physical and mental health, we need real face to face connections, in person and not online. Young people use many chat apps and even topic based groups and sites, set depression and health problems keep increasing. The more we are in front of a screen, the harder it is to actually be with others. And this is what we need as humans.

this. It will be different for different people perhaps, but personally I prefer seeing someone every few years even over chatting regularly.

I think you just have to look at how people treat each other online vs irl when not necessarily friendly (ie. work) to know that spending time face to face is essential for healthy social interaction.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#27

Post by vmarius » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:44 AM UTC

AstralStorm wrote: post #22

vmarius wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks furi, good point. Humans indeed talked to each other and have done things together since the dawn of time. But the problem is that our way of living has changed significantly during recent years. Most of the people simply don't have the possibility to gather around and talk about their life/problems. It is becoming a luxury to have a live talk with a real person. I am sure that the above mentioned organization…

1) Not always possible? Attack the reason why. It's often either work or study, which can be changed given enough political pressure, or kids, which sometimes can be included, sometimes not 2) Undesirable? Please elaborate. 3) Transportation widens local for the rich to a wide area for few day trips, which is a scheduling problem. For a day trip, mark a circle with 8h travel diameter. It is relatively far, yet here w…

1) physically impossible - large distances, time consuming, fear

2) it is hard to discuss many (if not most) personal issues in personal or in group meetings. Suicidal thoughts, depression, life advice - you cannot simply go out there and discuss all these during your first/tenth meeting with a person in private.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#28

Post by krageon » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:47 AM UTC

vmarius wrote: post #6

It is better than nothing, but is not scalable. We at nothing_here building a tool which will help fight loneliness online. (I have removed the link, not really trying to sell anything to anyone)

A social circle does not scale to begin with. Rather than introducing something very close to a buzzword and presenting an alternative which aims to (as you claim) solve a similar problem, perhaps you can tell the reader why you think scalability is important and what makes you think that you can solve loneliness at scale where every other large-scale online community has (I think pretty obviously) failed.

Improving on your original point in this way will take it from what it is now (an advertisement, IMO pretty undesirable) to what it could be: Informative and helpful to those suffering from what the news article purports this company addresses.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#29

Post by krageon » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:50 AM UTC

vmarius wrote: post #18

furi wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans talking to other humans in the local area and doing things together exists all over the world and has done since the dawn of time, what part of it isn't scalable?

Thanks furi, good point. Humans indeed talked to each other and have done things together since the dawn of time. But the problem is that our way of living has changed significantly during recent years. Most of the people simply don't have the possibility to gather around and talk about their life/problems. It is becoming a luxury to have a live talk with a real person. I am sure that the above mentioned organization…

The fact that you see real-life interaction with other people in any meaningful way as a luxury or even possibly undesirable is so incredibly problematic (to an almost pathological degree) that I am genuinely worried for you.

Re: Ventilen, a Danish organization to address loneliness in young people

#30

Post by vmarius » Fri, Jul 05, 2019, 8:50 AM UTC

zwaps wrote: post #13

vmarius wrote: post #6

It is better than nothing, but is not scalable. We at nothing_here building a tool which will help fight loneliness online. (I have removed the link, not really trying to sell anything to anyone)

Good on you, but i think chat apps are not the solution. For physical and mental health, we need real face to face connections, in person and not online. Young people use many chat apps and even topic based groups and sites, set depression and health problems keep increasing. The more we are in front of a screen, the harder it is to actually be with others. And this is what we need as humans.

I agree that real face to face connection is the best for many cases, but is a luxury nowadays and doesn't work for all.