The so-called Buddy System (also known as Peer Support) involves two paired individuals — called “the buddies” — who either work/operate together to provide mutual support and watch out for each other, or alternatively it’s about one of the buddies who has specific subject-matter proficiency (or more experience) and helping the other who needs physical, emotional, and/or mental support.
There are many forms of buddy systems, such as:
- buddies at the workplace (an experienced employee helping the new employee to learn the ropes);
- buddies in the army or in the police force (two paired soldiers or police officers who always watch out for each other);
- buddies in commercial flights (pilot and co-pilot system, the so-called two-men-rule);
- buddies in educational institutions (students helping each other out or one student tutoring another one);
- buddies during adventurous endeavors (divers, hikers, mountain climbers, etc.);
- buddies for emotional and mental health care (think of companionship care and girlfriend experience services).
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There are quite some benefits of the Buddy System, which include the promotion of friendship, solidarity, and comradeship, practical support in behavioral, social, physical, emotional, sexual, intellectual, and mental needs, and providing an improved sense of intimacy, companionship, connectedness, and belonging.
Buddies can be paired on:
- a voluntary basis (for instance, volunteers who are occupied with end-of-life care or with people in any kind of emotional distress),
- an obligatory basis within a company or organization (for instance, the pilot and co-pilot system or the experienced employee and new employee situation), or
- a commercial basis as a paid service (for instance travel companions or home care services).
In addition to physical one-on-one buddy services, you’ll find buddy services that are offered remotely through telephone or social media, in the latter case by using internet applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook chat, Telegram, and such.
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These types of online buddy systems are usually staffed by volunteers who offer emotional support to individuals in (acute) emotional distress, which could involve accompanying people who go through moments of job-related stress, anxiety, feelings of loneliness, domestic issues, breakups, or a form of emotional trauma, to give some examples.
Mind that the support offered through online emotional care buddy systems usually does not consist of professional healthcare help or therapy, but rather of providing empathy, a listening ear, encouragement, companionship, non-judgmental understanding, and guidance of access to professional help if needed.
A growing tendency is the offering of buddy systems integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), typically by using AI apps that offer AI companions through AI-powered chatbots and/or avatars.
These AI helpers can support people with their homework and studies, help individuals with emotional or mental health problems, aid lone or new employees with their tasks, and so on, basically just as is the case with regular physical or online buddy systems.
The difference, of course, is that these “buddies” are not human, and AI is still a developing technology. Hence, for now, AI buddies are subject of much discussion as for their possible limitations in accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness, notably in the field of emotional and mental health support.
