According to Limming, technology is a catalyst that causes loneliness and isolation because it gives the illusion of comfortable communication without the awkwardness. But it is by no means the only causation. People spaces that used to help forge connection, like going to a 9 to 5 job, commuting to that job, drinks after work, clubs, and social events, are no longer places where people connect. Remote work has cut into this significantly, and the pandemic and its ills further contributed to the breakdown of social interaction. Our dependence on technology also contributes to the lack of socialization. In order to accomplish tasks and negotiate, we have to learn a certain set of soft social skills. Reading facial expressions and emotional cues (boy, did the masking ever do damage to that!). Learning to read body language. Smiling when appropriate. Shaking hands and making eye contact (my personal pet peeve). Listening to people, and learning when and how to speak (tone). //

During a talk March 20 at Harvard Law School, MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle, whose books include “Reclaiming Conversation” and “The Empathy Diaries,” outlined her concerns over the fact that individuals are starting to turn to generative AI chatbots to ease loneliness, a rising public health dilemma across the nation. The technology is not solving this problem but adding to it by warping our ability to empathize with others and to appreciate the value of real interpersonal connection, she said.

Turkle, also a trained psychotherapist, said it’s “the greatest assault on empathy” she’s ever seen. //

It appears that, just like with the so-called pandemic, the government is working hard to invent yet another crisis that they plan to swoop in and solve. After 2020-2023, any time appointed bureaucrats or elected officials feel the need to speak to a problem, people immediately tune out. The experience of the last four years has made their agendas suspect. The initial appearance of care and concern for Americans is merely gaslighting. The real intent is to push some nefarious drug we'll be forced to take or institute a program that we will be forced into. The fact that Murthy's advisory has been picked up by the World Health Organization (WHO) should give one pause. //

Hanging out and deeper face to face interactions is not all that hard when you boil it down to basics. Making connections with our fellow humans requires three things: 1) shared values; 2) shared experiences; and 3) shared spaces. Human beings are wired for connection; devices may make connection seem fluid and seamless, but it is anything but. However, when we are sharing space, purpose, and ultimately our experience, that is the lubricant to the gears of community. //

There is no substitute for human interaction. While sometimes uncomfortable, it is essential to our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and it is not something we want to outsource through technology or allow the government's involvement. As the "Hang Out" author Limming says, "Cultivating meaningful relationships and experiences requires active participation, effort, decision, stamina, and care." But it is worth the investment of expanding your worldview and forging lifelong connections. "Reclaiming Conversations" author Turkle says, “Face-to-face conversation is where intimacy and empathy develop. At work, conversation fosters productivity, engagement, and clarity and collaboration.”