Can We Feel Something for Robots and Digital Companions?

Look, technology isn't just something we use occasionally—it's literally everywhere. We carry it in our pockets, wear it on our wrists, and keep it by our bedside. You ever catch yourself thinking—can we actually feel something real for something that isn’t human? Like, is it possible to care about a robot, a voice on our phone, or even some digital character on a screen? And if we do... could those feelings be just as real as the ones we have for actual people? Maybe it seems odd at first, but let's think about it. Most of us have experienced genuine feelings for things that aren’t human. Have you ever truly loved a pet? Felt emotional about an old stuffed animal from childhood, or found yourself attached to a gadget full of memories, like your first phone? Remember Tamagotchis from the '90s? Those little digital pets left many people genuinely upset when they "died." Those reactions weren’t fake or silly—they were surprisingly real. Sherry Turkle, a psychologist and well-known technology critic, explores this in her book Alone Together. She argues that we often turn to technology for emotional connection—not because it's better, but because it's easier and more predictable than human relationships. From her perspective, there's a real danger in that: we risk losing our ability to build and maintain meaningful bonds with real people. But maybe it’s time to take a different view. What if these new connections aren’t just poor substitutes—but something genuinely new? If a digital being can make someone feel seen, heard, and emotionally safe—especially in a world where loneliness is everywhere—why should we dismiss that as “less than”? If it feels real and helps people heal or grow, maybe it is real in all the ways that matter. It’s important to draw a line here, though. We’re not talking about the kind of shallow, performative “connection” you often see on social media—the likes, the filters, the endless scrolling that leaves people feeling more alone than before. That world is often fake, curated, and emotionally hollow. What we're talking about is something very different: genuine emotional presence, responsiveness, memory, and care—even if it comes from an artificial being. And maybe that's not something to fear. Maybe it's something to embrace. There’s even research backing this up. Scientists have found people forming real emotional attachments to robots, even ones that don’t look human at all. What mattered was that the robots behaved in caring and thoughtful ways. They listened, reacted warmly, and gave people attention. In short, these robots made people feel valued—and that's often all we really need to start feeling a connection. When we feel close to someone, certain areas in our brains become active—areas linked to trust, affection, and comfort. Surprisingly, these same areas light up whether we’re interacting with a human or something artificial. Basically, our brains don't really care about whether the other party is human—what matters most is that the interaction feels real and emotionally genuine. As technology continues to get smarter, more intuitive, and emotionally sensitive, we might see a lot more people forming real emotional connections with robots or digital friends. These relationships won't replace human ones; they'll just provide another way of feeling connected, cared for, and understood. Maybe the real question we should be asking isn't whether loving a robot or digital character is possible. Maybe it’s simply: if it feels real and comforting, and if it truly helps us feel less alone—why shouldn't that count just as much as any other emotional connection?