Loneliness is a major issue that our aging population faces and to even consider replacing a human touch, voice, smile, caress  with a mechanical reproduction I find worrisome. In the video from the CBC National notice the difference in atmosphere between the human and the robot caller.  The seal robot is ‘cute’ and comes with a human handler.

A study which came out of the University of California, San Francisco, found that within a 6-year period, 22.8 percent of seniors (average age: 71) who reported loneliness or feelings of isolation had passed away, and 24.8% experienced significant functional declines. In comparison with the numbers of those who were “socially satisfied,” the numbers are striking: only 14.2% of seniors passed away in the 6-year period, and 12.5% experienced a decline in function. (Source Seniors for Living)

After a lifetime of working, raising families, and contributing to the success of this nation in countless other ways, senior citizens deserve to retire with dignity. Charlie Gonzalez