In Episode 7, Carrie steps back from storytelling to lay out the foundation of what TribeLife believes ; why belonging matters more than ever in an age of AI companionship and curated connection, how to start telling real community from its imitations, and a reading of the TribeLife manifesto.
Referenced in this episode:
Folk, D. & Dunn, E. — longitudinal study on chatbot use and loneliness, published in Psychological Science (2026): https://www.psypost.org/turning-to-chatbots-when-lonely-may-exacerbate-feelings-of-loneliness-study-finds/
U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (2023), referenced via APA Monitor: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2026/01-02/trends-digital-ai-relationships-emotional-connection
BMJ Group commentary on AI chatbots and loneliness, Christmas issue 2025: https://bmjgroup.com/concern-over-growing-use-of-ai-chatbots-to-stave-off-loneliness/
Fortune commentary, "I've spent 25 years studying loneliness. AI is about to make it much worse" (2026): https://fortune.com/2026/05/23/loneliness-researcher-ai-companions-social-disconnection-warning/
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