For several years, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been warning of a “national loneliness epidemic” hiding in plain sight. Our new technologies and glowing rectangles hold power to connect and isolate us, leading more Americans to experience anxiety and depression, “increasing our risk of heart disease (29%), dementia (50%), stroke (32%),” and even premature death (“comparable to smoking daily”), Murthy reports.
Our need for human connection is as essential for survival as food and water, Murthy says. Yet, it’s strangely diminished in the current era, as we turn to partisan bickering, racial stereotypes, social retreat, information rabbit holes reinforced by algorithms and negative news that leads to disconnection. The resulting isolation has created a powder keg of animosity.
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