As AI companions become more emotionally responsive and always available, they’re changing how we experience loneliness, attachment, and connection. In this episode, explore the psychology behind AI companionship, parasocial bonds, and the risk of replacing human relationships with frictionless digital ones.

Featuring expert clips from The AIX Factor podcast (discussion with Dr. Genevieve Ortowski on AI companionship) and the American Psychological Association’s Speaking of Psychology podcast (Ep. 408: “How will AI companions change our human relationships?” with Drs. Ashley Golden and Rachel Wood).

AI is moving fast. Work, creativity, and identity are changing with it. This episode explores the tension between human values and machine speed, and what the future could hold if technology outpaces our ability to adapt.

This final episode of 2025 looks back on a year of exploring connection, emotional loneliness, and the questions that shape how we live today. From defining friendship to understanding youth perspectives across the globe, the conversations challenged how we think about identity, belonging, technology, and societal divide.

As a new year begins, the thought partnership continues. Stay curious. Stay connected.

As the holidays approach, Joyce explores how division at work and in society affects our well-being.

A listener’s story about two rival managers sparks a new question: What’s the difference between having choices and having to pick sides?

Plus, Chapter 8 of Human Glitch continues with Quinn’s night at Crenshaw High and a lesson in authenticity.

This week kicks off with a big question: Is this generation of youth fundamentally different, or are we just seeing familiar struggles through a new lens? Between tech overload and deepening ideological divides, the answers aren’t simple.

Then in Human Glitch, Chapter 7:

Caleb and River clash over whether their wealthy classmate Quinn belongs at a Crenshaw football game. What starts as a debate about inclusion becomes a deeper reflection on identity, loyalty, and the power of being seen.

In this new episode of Human Glitch, Quinn heads into a long-awaited therapy session with Dr. Han. As they talk, buried questions about trust, identity, and being “the strong one” begin to surface—pushing Quinn to confront what they've kept hidden.

Host Joyce Coffey opens with a reflection on last episode’s big question and challenges the idea that we can simply ignore what others think.

Share your thoughts on this episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@youthresearchbox.org⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this new chapter of Human Glitch, River confronts the pain of his mother’s absence and a father who won’t step in. As tensions rise at home, River begins to question what family really means.

We also open the episode with a reflection on the pressure to justify our choices after high school and what it takes to stand firm in them.

Share your thoughts on Chapter Five: ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@youthresearchbox.org⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this chapter of Human Glitch, River wrestles with belonging, loyalty, and the courage to stand up for what’s right. As summer unfolds in Los Angeles, River finds himself caught between two worlds, his modest life with his father and the privileged halls of Harriet’s Prep.

When he learns that a new policy will strip scholarships from student athletes like his best friend Caleb, River must decide whether to risk his own future to fight for fairness.

To share your thoughts on Chapter Four, email: ⁠⁠⁠podcast@youthresearchbox.org⁠⁠⁠.