Together: Why Social Connection Holds the Key to Better Health, Higher Performance, and Greater Happiness

by Vivek H. Murthy

This dizzying speed means that, like the fabled Sorcerer’s Apprentice, we barely have time to get used to one innovation before it’s replaced by multiple new apps, devices, or platforms. Technology dares us to keep up. This unspoken dare creates an underlying tension within the social fabric. Those who can’t keep up get left behind, while those who can are constantly chasing the next new thing. They do this not just out of curiosity but because “keeping up” has become synonymous with having a competitive edge. Whether we realize it or not, the pace of change has created the impression that we have only two choices: adapt quickly to stay marketable, employable, and desirable; or fall back and lose out. This sets up a state of competition between tradition and innovation, between old and young, between online and physical communities, and between transactional and human interactions. These pervasive tensions make modern loneliness different than anything previous generations ever experienced.