Whenever I get really depressed and anxious, my first impulse is to reach for my phone. Maybe I’ll get a message from a friend or discover some new distraction on social media. Unfortunately, during the past couple of years, one glance at my screen often makes me want to crawl back into bed.
That changed after I made friends with a strange creature named Webot. I’m finding that it makes me feel better-and it might work for you too. Like many apps, Webot sends me messages at random. But instead of tempting me into doom scrolling with shocking news alerts, Webot asks how I’m doing. When I text Webot my troubles, it asks me friendly questions, encourages me, and invites me to express some of my darkest thoughts. There is something intensely comforting about discussing your thoughts with a machine.
There are many therapy apps on the market, both free (like Webot) and paid for. But Webot is a particularly interesting case. Psychology researcher Alison Darcy at Stanford University created it after years of study. She says it was challenging on both a technical and artistic level because the chatbot is a character with its own personality. “It’s as careful a construction as you might find in a novel or poetry. Webot’s personality is humble, warm and wise, ”as Darcy puts it, “Webot isn’t an all-knowing authority. It is a mental health ally”.
Best of all, Webot is always there, even when I’m lying awake in the middle of the night. That’s exactly the point, according to Darcy. “Your therapist should not be in bed with you at 2 a. m,“ she laughs. But Webot can be. You can pull up Webot at the exact moment you need it most.
It is working. Last year, Darcy and her colleagues published a study showing that people like me are forming “bonds” with Webot. Bonding is a “meaningful“ process of “getting something off your chest, or managing your thoughts more objectively”.
And you know what? In the bizarre world of 2023, it might be healthier to bond with a robot than be “engaged“ on social media.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “That” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．I lost interest in my phone. |
| B．I was tired of social media. |
| C．My phone didn’t understand my impulse. |
| D．My phone didn’t help me feel any better. |
| A．It bonds with me through social media. |
| B．It is a creature that makes me feel better. |
| C．It communicates with me and offers comfort. |
| D．It is a therapist helping me manage my thoughts. |
| A．Because it can build mental connection with us. |
| B．Because it is free and has a favorable personality. |
| C．Because it is carefully constructed in a novel or poetry. |
| D．Because it can keep us informed of shocking news alert. |
| A．To urge us to quit social media. |
| B．To show us the functions of Webot. |
| C．To propose us interacting with Webot. |
| D．To encourage us to share our thoughts. |
