When does networking become real connection?

A reading tip from Romera · Published on 28 September 2026
On the Ö1 programme «Vernetzt, aber nicht verbunden» (Networked but not connected) of 24 September 2026
Guest: Martin Scherer · Produced and presented by: Barbara Zeithammer

We can send messages at any time and reach people on the other side of the world. But being reachable does not yet mean feeling close to or connected with a person.

The Ö1 programme “Networked but not connected” takes up this contradiction. Together with the philosopher Martin Scherer, it asks what personal closeness consists of and whether it can be created deliberately. Closeness can arise in a conversation, in shared silence or through attentive presence. It cannot be measured by the number of our contacts.

For Romera, this idea is central. Technology can overcome distances, translate languages and bring people together. It can create an opportunity for a conversation. Whether connection arises from it is decided between the people involved: when someone listens, asks questions or lets a thought stand.

Romera is meant to make the first step towards a personal conversation easier. But the platform is meant neither to simulate human closeness nor to promise to solve loneliness.

And you?

How do you notice in a conversation that you really feel understood?

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Opens the search for a conversation on Philosophy. Someone to talk to isn’t always available right away.