Work and the Loneliness Epidemic

In Section 1, there was a talk about social media. One of the topics was the association of social media and depression. An article in the Depression and Anxiety Journal, published in April, 2016, the authors surveyed 1,787 adults ages 19 to 32 about social media (SM) use and depression and found that SM use was significantly associated with increased depression. The social media platforms analyzed in the questionnaires included Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. This self-reported data only reveals a strong correlation and the article suggests possible reasons why this is the case.

In the HBR article on Work and Loneliness Epidemic, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy says, 

There is good reason to be concerned about social connection in our current world. Loneliness is a growing health epidemic. We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s. Today, over 40% of adults in America report feeling lonely, and research suggests that the real number may well be higher. Additionally, the number of people who report having a close confidante in their lives has been declining over the past few decades. In the workplace, many employees — and half of CEOs — report feeling lonely in their roles.

Chances are, you or someone you know has been struggling with loneliness. According to Dr. Murthy, "loneliness and weak social connections are associated with a reduction in lifespan similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity."

But we haven’t focused nearly as much effort on strengthening connections between people as we have on curbing tobacco use or obesity. Loneliness is also associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and anxiety. At work, loneliness reduces task performance, limits creativity, and impairs other aspects of executive function such as reasoning and decision making. For our health and our work, it is imperative that we address the loneliness epidemic quickly.

What to do? If we are to prioritize our health and the health of our companies, the workplace is one of the most important places to cultivate social connections. Here are some ways mentioned in the article:

• Evaluate the current state of connections in your workplace. Strong social connections are not simply about the number of friends and family members one has; it’s the quality of those connections that matters more. (You can be surrounded by many people and have thousands of connections on LinkedIn or Facebook and still be lonely.)

• Build understanding of high-quality relationships. Strong social connections are characterized by meaningful shared experiences and mutually beneficial two-way relationships, where both individuals give and receive.

• Make strengthening social connections a strategic priority in your organization. Designing and modeling a culture that supports connection is more important than any single program.

• Encourage coworkers to reach out and help others — and accept help when it is offered. Although it may seem counterintuitive to assist others when you are feeling lonely, extending help to others and allowing yourself to receive help builds a connection that is mutually affirming. 

• Create opportunities to learn about your colleagues’ personal lives. The likelihood that authentic social connections will develop is greater when people feel understood and appreciated as individuals with full lives.

                                       
Even with an active college life, the more time you spend on social media, the less time you spend creating social connections. Some questions:

• Do you listen to friends when they talk about their lives, or are you on your phone as you "listen"? 

• When you have a meal with a friend (or friends), do you feel socially connected to them?  Why or why not?  Any examples come to mind?

• How do you build high-quality relationships with friends and family? What do you do together? (Texting is not doing that, no matter what you think.) 

• Consider this: If you go out on a date (or meet a person you don't know well), are you both on your phones because you are bored and don't know what to say to each other, or do you find out about the person to see if this will lead to more dates/a new friendship?

Thoughts? Other examples of making social connections, frustrations about how others behave, or do you prefer to text and find it hard to actually talk to people face-to-face?