The loneliness economy profits from our silence. The only way out is to speak.
Enter works like RJ01117570 . These are not just audio clips. They are relational prosthetics . They fill a gap that real people, for whatever reason, cannot fill. Maybe you work night shifts. Maybe you have social anxiety. Maybe you’re grieving and can’t bear the vulnerability of asking a friend to hold you. Maybe you’re just tired. rj01117570
— A listener, still learning
This is the ethical fault line. Are we healing ourselves, or are we anaesthetizing ourselves? Is RJ01117570 a glass of water for a thirsty soul, or is it a sugar pill that trains us to prefer frictionless, one-way intimacy over the beautiful, messy, disappointing work of real relationships? I listened to a similar work late one night. It was a “girlfriend comforts you after a hard day” scenario. Soft speaking. A little humming. The sound of a blanket being pulled up to my chin (all foley, all fake). When it ended, there was a moment of perfect silence before my actual room reasserted itself. The loneliness economy profits from our silence
That silence was the most honest part.