'Socially Assistive' Bots to Help Kids Read, Exercise, and More

Whatever happened to "friends"?

Reminds me of an "Outer Limits" episode I recently saw on satellite, entitled, "Family Values," which aired on March 16, 2001. If you can catch it, it is very relevant to the issues posed in the OP, because it employs this very solution -- with unintended consequences. Netflixers can surely see it. For others, you might try this source. (You'll have to put up with commercials, though.)