Loneliness is something that has probably plagued all of us at different points in our lives, but it’s a feeling that has been more prevalent this past year than any before with a global pandemic that sent us all into our homes. But what if that feeling of loneliness could be combatted safely, from our homes, and through the help of strangers? Enter Open Bubble’s George de la Ville Bauge. 

The Frenchman developed the connection app Open Bubble before COVID-19 became a reality last spring, but its inception has been instrumental in combatting a pandemic of loneliness in the elderly and young alike in this year of social distancing. On this episode of The Sidewalk Talk podcast, Traci talks with George all about Open Bubble, why he decided to use an app to address the loneliness he was feeling in his own life, and why connecting with strangers is such a gift. Don’t miss this timely and important conversation that can help us all step outside of our bubbles to lead less lonely lives. 

Episode Milestones

[00:07] Intro 

[02:44] Meet George 

[08:20] Open Bubble 

[11:34] The gift of connecting strangers  

[17:11] Why George chose to combat loneliness through an app 

[26:00] Getting in touch with our humanity again 

[30:08] How meeting strangers impacts loneliness 

[37:48] George’s wish for you 

[41:00] Outro 

Resources Mentioned

Open Bubble 

Standout Quotes from the Episode

“Loneliness is not only being isolated, you can be lonely with people around; you can be lonely because you think in different ways. What we’re trying to do is tackle the feeling of loneliness.”

“There are two hurdles we are trying to solve: whether the other person is available, and what are we going to talk about.”

“We all live in bubbles, and at some point, it’s very beneficial to open a window into one of those bubbles and let some air come in.”

“Any war in the world, between neighbors or between countries, starts because people don’t understand each other.”

“I just want to get people in touch with each other and let the magic happen.”

“Nothing really brings more joy than connection with another person. You can find real joy talking with another human who you didn’t know ten minutes before.”

Connect:

Find | Sidewalk Talk Podcast

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Find | Traci Ruble

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On Instagram: @TraciRubleMFT

On Twitter: @TraciRubleMFT

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