The psychologist called loneliness the reason for the trend towards hobbydogging

Hobbydogging, a new trend in Germany, may be a way to compensate for live communication due to loneliness. However, there are alarm bells. This opinion was expressed by psychologist Veronika Akhmetova in an interview with Izvestia on December 2.

The essence of hobbydogging is that a person with a leash walks around the field, gives commands to an invisible pet and pretends that the dog exists.

"Why do people choose this? Well, first of all, loneliness is the number one problem nowadays, and it's a way to compensate for loneliness and the need for care. We need someone to take care of, because not everyone has a family, children, and some can't even get a dog. In some cases, it can be psychotherapy, that is, behavioral activation: "Take a dog, go for a walk," she explained.

According to the expert, in the vast majority of cases, this behavior is the norm. However, it is important to separate people who understand that the dog is fictional and those who sincerely believe that the animal on his leash exists. If a person walking with an empty leash just enjoys the process and does not suffer in other areas of life, then this leisure time can be considered just an eccentric hobby. This, according to Akhmetova, can be compared with the ways of creative expression.

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In addition, the specialist noted that it is much more useful to walk an invisible dog and get some fresh air than to stay at home in anxiety or depression.

"And in general, there is an assumption that people are overloaded, that this is our digital information stream that is pouring out on us, it has already got everyone, and therefore people just need this moment, which we call awareness in the moment of presence, physical presence in space. Here I am, listening to the rhythm of my steps, I am here. This is a kind of meditation in motion — hobbydogging," Akhmetova shared.

She added that such behavior indicates healthy adaptation: humanity is still creative, we have not lost this ability, people are looking for some non-standard game ways to cope with loneliness, stress, and routine information flow.

However, there are also disturbing signals. They can occur if a person has a complete loss of touch with reality — a sincere belief that there is a dog. The obsessive nature of behavior also goes beyond the norm, which causes suffering and interferes with social and professional functioning.

"So, for example, a person didn't come to work because a non-existent dog got sick — that's kind of weird. There may be other concomitant symptoms: social isolation, impaired thinking, auditory and visual hallucinations — these are all alarm bells," the psychologist warned.

Hobbydogging can also signal underlying problems, because people increasingly lack simple, ordinary human communication, tactile contact, and acceptance in society.

Meanwhile, Akhmetova warned that children should be alarmed by such a hobby.

"It is important that the child does not do this, because if parents notice that the child is replacing communication with peers, walking with an invisible dog is also a dangerous call. Therefore, it is necessary to engage in the socialization of the child," the expert concluded.

Earlier, on November 14, Anna Polosina, a specialist at the Faculty of Social Communication at MGPPU, said that young people are more susceptible to anxiety due to several factors: high awareness of mental health, a tendency to introspection and the influence of social networks. According to her, the availability of information about the psyche has formed the habit of young people to be more attentive to their own condition.

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