Some sociologists claim that we live in an era of profound loneliness or, let’s put it this way,

we live in an era where loneliness is as potent as an epidemic, something akin to an emotional bubonic plague affecting the countryside of our insides, tearing at the cornfields of our happiness.

It’s bad. Antidepressant usage in people of all ages is at an all-time high and with the continued rising prominence of social media; we are simultaneously connected and disconnected simultaneously. Scratch that – it’s worse than bad, it’s downright scary!

No man (and woman) is an island, as the famous poet John Donne once wrote, so what must we as a society do to somehow quell this high tide of loneliness? We must do something before it washes us away like a typhoon. Some inventive entrepreneurs are utilizing the technology we have in the fight against loneliness and, according to this Time article, the war is waging in Japan.

Rachel Lowry writes, “Some Japanese men are wooing girlfriends who don’t exist. While they can only interact with their partner through a pre-written script, these virtual beauties – Rinko, Manaka or Nene – offer a kind of instant emotional connection at the tap of a stylus. […] It’s one of Japan’s biggest gaming phenomenons called Love Plus – available on the Nintendo portable consoles and the iPhone.”

It’s a bit of an understatement saying that the game is a phenomenon; it is revolutionizing hearts for the better. The creators of the game were inspired to make it after looking into the problem of loneliness in Japan; many people who never get married,

“thirty-somethings who have accepted living alone instead of looking for love.”

These men (and women) are looking for a connection, anything to feel like they’re a part of the emotional world. As one man put it,

“Well, you know all I want is someone to say good morning to in the morning and someone to say goodnight to at night.”

Sad, but at least this particular gentleman feels a little less disconnected because of the game. At Atlanta Jewish & Interfaith Weddings, we feel that everyone deserves to feel connected. Everyone deserves a shot at love, to feel like his or her heart is like a gigantic hill in the mountain range we call human. Remember, no man (and woman) is an island.