Digital Closeness: How Technology Can Strengthen Relationships

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Whether it’s voice messages in a teddy bear, shared moments of light, or digital letters: New applications are designed to foster emotional connection across geographical distances. But which ideas really work—and what unintended consequences does technology have for interpersonal relationships?

At the Chair of Economic and Organisational Psychology, Prof. Dr. Sarah Diefenbach and her colleague Angelina Krupp are researching, as part of the collaborative project “Closeness Across Distance,” how technological prototypes can be developed and designed to strengthen the sense of connection. The two are providing scientific guidance for the development process and evaluating the concepts.

The interview on lmu.de provides insights into current research and innovative design concepts for a more social digital community.