Allie Volpe is a correspondent at Vox. She writes extensively about the science of human connection—friendship, conversation, community, and the invisible threads that tie our well-being to the relationships around us. And let me tell you, these connections are vital.

Take loneliness, for instance. Loneliness isn’t just a feeling; it’s a state of being that affects us both psychologically and physically. When we’re lonely, we feel more tired, more pessimistic, more hopeless, and more unmotivated. And if social media isn’t the antidote to that loneliness (spoiler alert, it’s not), then we need to find other avenues.

So in this episode, I got a chance to speak with her about why she enjoys talking to strangers, how social trust has changed over time, and the extent to which it is useful for people to see threats and danger everywhere.

Show Notes

Frames of Space Listener Survey

"Talking to strangers" by Gillian M. Sandstrom