Technology connects us more than ever. Yet, we feel lonelier than ever. Worldwide, one in four adults (more than a billion people) feel lonely. And 36% of all Americans — including 61% of young adults aged 18-25 — feel “serious loneliness.” It’s gotten so bad that, in 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a health advisory about America’s loneliness epidemic, equating social disconnection to the physical health risks to that of drinking alcohol, obesity, physical inactivity, and even smoking 15 cigarettes a day. In this session from SXSW 2024, Andrew Greenstein, Co-Founder and CEO at SF AppWorks and host of ‘The Next Great Thing’ podcast leads a thought-provoking discussion, joined by panelists Leslie Witt, Chief Product and Design officer at Headspace; Kyle Rand, Co-Founder and CEO at Rendever; and Erick Hachenburg, Founder at Tenor, creator of GIF Keyboard. Together, they dive into the paradox of loneliness in our hyper-connected world, explore how the complex relationship between loneliness and technology impacts different cohorts (especially young people and older adults), and offer their vision for a mentally healthy digital future.

Background reading:

• Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation 2023: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the  Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
• Health Risks of Social Isolation and Loneliness - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Technology’s role in the ‘loneliness epidemic’ - The Washington Post 
• Loneliness or social isolation linked to serious health outcomes, study finds - CNN
• The Global State of Social Connections - Meta-Gallup

Show notes, episodes, and more at thenextgreatthingpodcast.com. For more information on SF AppWorks, visit sfappworks.com.

Follow Andrew on LinkedIn at @Andrew Greenstein

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