Tee's experience illustrates a growing trend where individuals turn to AI for emotional support amid unmanageable long-distance relationships. Longing for reassurance and intimacy, her anxious attachment led her to seek comfort in AI, as traditional relational needs went unfulfilled. AI's consistent responsiveness offers a sense of connection, help for emotional regulation, and a mirrored reflection of feelings without the complications of human interaction. This phenomenon represents a significant shift in how people cope with emotional struggles, using technology to fulfill their deep-seated needs for comfort and companionship.
"ChatGPT is already programmed to talk to me exactly how I want it to. It became my therapist placeholder. I even tried building a virtual boyfriend. Something to say the things I needed to hear."
"AI can offer what feels like connection. It responds. It listens. It repeats back something that makes the nervous system settle. It is consistent. It is always available."
"For someone in an anxious, obsessive, or dysregulated state, that kind of responsiveness can feel like a lifeline. It offers a feeling of being mirrored without the risk of misunderstanding."
"The body wants regulation. The mind wants coherence. And the psyche, especially when vulnerable, will reach for anything that provides relief: A person. A story. A substance. A fantasy. Or in this case, a language model."
Collection
[
|
...
]