socialbump.org - Coming Soon

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SocialBump is a social interaction platform that will permit a large-scale longevity boost to all of those who participate, as research has shown that social interaction leads to longevity. It will be populated by people who are and are not conventionally qualified making up new social role(s) in the local and global community(ies) they both belong to and are eager to be a part of. Social Bumpers will be online and available to field users for neutral sessions of conversation that serve the customer - to just be with, to entertain/ be entertained by, and/or to give/receive advice to/from. Valid conversation will serve the customer to get a “social bump.”

The number of people needing social interaction purely to live longer grows as time goes on, and this connected world will benefit from the option to socialize whenever and wherever possible. Neutral in nature, time together on this platform will serve us without requiring anything from us beyond being human moment by moment, conversation by conversation. As options such as a warmline and clubhouses in the mental health field have succeeded in doing, this avenue for connection will be there for people to enjoy company, comfort, and/or support when they need it – especially when removed from a typical social setting.

Those providing these “social bumps” will be not exactly caretakers, but similar to caretakers, in that they interact with you, rather than preach to you and/or the like. The power and warmth of just being there for someone associated with the compassion aspect of mindfulness has been widely accepted, and “social bumpers” will carry the torch of this global phenomenon. This experience of presence during healthy time together "gets us going," it fuels us... we have all felt this and there is nothing like it. Appealing to the soul, it is "Zen."

Associated health implication research shows that spending time with other people in a social manner can extend our lives, and I do not want anyone to miss out on this. The benefits of being social are clear, as emotions are reported as better as shown in “Effects of social participation patterns and living arrangement on mental health of… older adults: A latent class analysis" (Chen, et. al. 2022), and a reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia was described in “Get back your social life to boost thinking, memory, and health” by Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter, 2023. A quick “longevity social interaction” internet search yields many results on how social interaction supports longevity. 

https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/2023/12/18/how-social-connection-supports-longevity/ 

Socialization online has never been taken to this extreme of pure neutral time together and it is quite rare to find someone to spend time with who isn't interested in something from you or with you. Social bumping combats loneliness, isolation, and boredom; eases diminished quality of life, shortened lifespan, and overall lack of well-being; and can be intriguing, helpful, just, and a pick-me-up. The health facilitation, etc. benefits last long after a “social bump,” and I believe those benefits are for all. This includes for our elders, who will have access to social bumps for health and "checking in" sakes, and also to have the opportunity to bump socially and share/enjoy/participate in this venue. I desire this to be a cumulative resource, some of humanity’s collective wealth. Research shows that about half of people that need help don’t get it, and I hope this resource changes that. Ubiquity as a resource for all is the goal, and aided by current trends like social prescribing and internet use, it is achievable.