03/01/2025
Help! A Chatbot Is My Therapist
I remember my time in a higher institution vividly—a period where I often felt overwhelmed. I didn’t have many friends to confide in, and the few I trusted thought I was joking and dismissed my feelings. It felt like I was forced to be “fine” all the time, while juggling academic pressures, extracurricular activities, and other responsibilities.
In my moments of distress, I turned to the internet, searching for answers to what might be wrong with me. I felt perpetually overwhelmed, and let’s just say, I was sad more often than not. I took a few online tests to self-diagnose my feelings. While they didn’t suggest I had suicidal tendencies, the results indicated I might be dealing with depression and advised me to see a therapist.
Curious and desperate, I followed the advice and landed on a mental health platform. A chatbot greeted me, asking a series of questions that it said would help prepare for my consultation with a doctor. I was hopeful at first, but when I checked back a few minutes later, it was the chatbot again, not a human doctor.
The bot kept reminding me that it wasn’t human, but I still felt a need to pour out my heart. Yet, every time I tried, the constant reminder of its artificial nature restrained me. I couldn’t fully open up.
As I lingered in that digital space, a quiet but firm voice spoke within me: “How can you confide in a bot when you have Me, the Holy Spirit?” Simple, direct, and powerful. In that moment, I understood the message. I turned off my phone, went inside, and rested. That was the end of my interaction with the chatbot—and I never revisited the site or entertained the idea again.
Now, this isn’t to downplay the importance of seeking help online or to criticize those who do. Technology offers remarkable tools and resources to address mental health challenges. But it raises an important question for Christians: Where do we draw the line between leveraging technology and relying on our faith and convictions?
Join me in EO’Nov Lens, where we’ll dive into these intriguing dilemmas, exploring the intersection of Christian faith and the evolving world of technology in our digital age. Let’s enlighten ourselves together and find the balance.
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