In 2023, the US surgeon general issued a report<\/a> that coined the term \u201cloneliness epidemic,\u201d and students are also bearing its brunt. In a 2024 survey<\/a> of 1,100 students, the youth mental health nonprofit Active Minds and virtual care provider TimelyCare found that nearly two-thirds of students, or about 67 percent, report feeling lonely. <\/p>\n These studies hint that loneliness and declining happiness are connected to reduced participation in community groups or organized social activities.<\/a> Now, much of what was once a social activity is available online. Going shopping, watching movies, or even seeking emotional support is only a literal click of a button away, even more so thanks to artificial intelligence<\/a> that has taken the form of friends<\/a>, doctors<\/a>, and romantic partners<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cPeople associate more followers [on social media] as more friends. Kind of a quantity over quality perspective,\u201d said Cameron Sherman, 22, a computer science and business major at Brandeis. \u201cThat\u2019s the wrong way of thinking.\u201d <\/p>\n Last year, Sherman grew distant from the friends he had made on campus. Craving new connections, but wary of initiating in-person conversations with people he didn\u2019t know on campus, he jumped on the opportunity to participate in a pilot for Strangers. <\/p>\n His first meeting was with a student from the class above him. After a few semi-awkward sentence exchanges, a connection brewed over mutual friends and a similar sense of humor. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was a reminder that I\u2019m not alone,\u201d he said. \u201cThat people still wanted to connect with me.\u201d <\/p>\n Sherman has since participated in five meals through Strangers, including a few organized group meals, which he said were mostly a success. <\/p>\n Brandeis freshman Linh Nguyen, 18, said Strangers has helped her branch out of the freshman bubble. The app introduced her to seniors and students from other majors who taught her lay of the land around campus.<\/p>\n In one Strangers meal, Nguyen met a student who traveled to her hometown of Hanoi in Vietnam, an instant connection, she said. <\/p>\n \u201cNow we see meet in cultural organizations, follow each other on Instagram, and support each other on campus,\u201d said Nguyen, who last month joined Strangers as a volunteer to introduce new students to the app. <\/p>\n Still, building an app from scratch doesn\u2019t come without its challenges. Jie, 22, one of the app\u2019s co-founders and a computer science major, developed a matching algorithm that had to meet the standard of an app on the App Store, including safety features like the ability to block users or the recommendation to meet at a public location. <\/p>\n Expanding the app to more campuses means additional coding to increase capacity, or in other words, Jie\u2019s winter break. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen we pitch [the app] to adults, they don\u2019t really get it at first,\u201d said Jie. \u201cBut students are already reaching out to us to bring it to their school.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"Unlike](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Q7PVHPGJ6HN6XERVMZ52EXYX4M.jpg\")
Unlike social media apps with algorithms set up to maximize engagement time, Strangers\u2019 main goal is to get people off the app and into conversations with their future best friends in person.Suzanne Kreiter\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n