Almost one-third, 30%, of Americans say they have experienced feelings of loneliness once a week during the last year, according to a January 2024 poll by the American Psychiatric Association.
In a recent conversation, professor and researcher Brené Brown and Belgium American psychotherapist Esther Perel identified a possible culprit for these feelings of isolation: social media.
"When I went off social media for a year, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me," says Brown, who hosts the podcast "Unlocking Us."
Being off Instagram and Twitter made her better able to invest in real life conversations.
"If we believe that time and energy and focus are finite, when you live in that world online something is going to give in your real life," Brown says.
Persons:
Brené Brown, Esther Perel, Brown
Organizations:
American Psychiatric Association, Twitter
Locations:
Belgium American