In a Scientific American article, researchers discuss the effects that social isolation has had on the population. Statistics suggest that even prior to the pandemic, poor social health was an issue for many people, with 79 percent of Gen Zers, 71 percent of millennials and 50 percent of baby boomers reporting a feeling of loneliness. “Although isolation is the right response to the coronavirus pandemic, we need the exact opposite in response to the loneliness epidemic. So how can you cultivate your social well-being while avoiding infection?” asks author Kasley Killiam. Luckily, researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health came up with a few suggestions for how to connect without contact, centering around a healthy use of our social media and reaching out to our community. The epidemic has made it so that interacting with people is dangerous, but the fact remains that remaining lonely is dangerous in another way. With advice from experts and a new awareness of how we approach the relationships in our lives, maybe we can find a way to manage this precarious balance.

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