Robots may be cure for loneliness: researcher

CALGARY – If we want to reduce social isolation among our aging population, it’s time to look beyond the human touch and seek help from emerging technology instead, says a leading sociology researcher.

“One-third of seniors around the world are experiencing loneliness and it’s only getting worse,” said Fahimeh Mehrabi (pictured), a PhD student at University of Calgary. “If we’re going to solve this crisis, we need to look beyond providing short-term interventions like community-based programs, pet therapy and social skills workshops, because the evidence shows the most effective companionship for seniors is going to come in the form of a social robot.”

Mehrabi will present her findings from a meta-analysis of global research on the effectiveness of social robots to reduce loneliness among seniors at the upcoming Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Congress 2025), Canada’s leading academic gathering and one of the most comprehensive in the world, taking place May 30 to June 6 in Toronto.

Billed as a leading conference on the critical conversations of our time, Congress 2025 — themed “Reframing togetherness” — serves as a platform for the unveiling of thousands of research papers and presentations from social sciences and humanities experts worldwide. With more than 7,000 scholars, graduate students and practitioners expected to participate, the event will challenge attendees to model togetherness by working across differences, questioning hierarchies, and bridging divides in knowledge and experience to tackle the world’s most persistent challenges.

In her Congress presentation, Mehrabi will discuss why social robots are proving to be the best option to combat loneliness for seniors of all cognitive abilities, whether they live alone or reside in a retirement community or care facility. Her analysis included pet-like robots, humanoid robots as well as virtual, voice-based robots, and compared the effectiveness of these robots across countries.

Based on her research, Mehrabi believes social robots could play a complementary role in supporting senior well-being, similar to other assistive technologies such as mobility aids, fall detection devices or hearing aids. She’s calling on businesses to be as transparent as possible about the technology so that privacy concerns and social stigma can be better addressed.

Social robots are most widely used and most effective in Japan where there’s a stronger culture of technology acceptance. Surprisingly, studies from the U.S. suggest lower levels of effectiveness in reducing loneliness, and there is limited evidence in Canada, possibly due to skepticism and privacy concerns, she said.

“The data is clear that social robots can make a difference, especially as our population ages and care gaps grow, so I think it may be time for Canadians to rethink what a companion can look like,” said Mehrabi, whose research is focused on mental health in aging populations.

While there are many reasons for seniors to feel lonely, such as losing loved ones, retiring from a busy job or missing family that lives far way, the main reason is loss of companionship. Even when they are living in a group setting, and surrounded by their peer group, they can still experience isolation because they don’t necessarily get to choose their friends, she explained.

“They may have interaction with people, but it’s limited,” said Mehrabi. “A social robot provides one-on-one interaction on both an emotional and social level and can even encourage more frequent human interaction by helping them to connect with others through calling apps and texts.”

“A talking robot may seem strange until it’s the only voice a senior hears,” she said. “Sometimes seniors are so lonely, they just need a companion and the results show that social robots are proving to be their future friend.”

Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences in partnership with George Brown College, Congress 2025 is sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Universities Canada, Colleges and Institutes Canada, University Affairs, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Sage, and The Conversation Canada.

Registration – which includes 100+ keynote and open Congress sessions, with a virtual attendance option for many presentations – is $30. Visit https://www.federationhss.ca/en/congress2025 to register for a community pass and access the program of events open to the public.