A Proposal for Using Kawaii Companion Robots to Support Student Mental Health

In this position paper, we provide a summary of the college student mental health crisis and the increased magnitude of this crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, we provide examples of kawaii companion robots that are gaining popularity, especially in Japan, and we summarize the authors' experiences with a kawaii companion robot and the affective properties of the robot. Finally, we explain why we believe kawaii companion robots may be useful for addressing the student mental health crisis in the future and propose this as a direction for future study.