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

by Vivek H. Murthy

how we are using our screen-based devices may be more important than how much we are using them. A few minutes of harmful content for a susceptible child in the wrong circumstances could be devastating whereas an hour of screen time as part of a rich family experience might be very positive. “The problem is we’re focusing so much on time spent on screens but not focusing enough on the content, type of technology, or motivation to use it,” she said. As we learn more about these various dimensions of technology, it is increasingly clear that technology holds mixed blessings for us. Social media can help people find meaningful connections, especially when they come from communities that have traditionally been isolated or marginalized. But in the wrong circumstances, it can exacerbate loneliness by amplifying comparison, enabling bullying, and substituting lower- for higher-quality relationships.