We've talked about how addicted we are to our phones and our devices. We're not having enough of those opportunities, she says. So that's something that we can do - shop your local independent bookstore or cafe if there is one. And then i think we all so, given the levels of loneliness right now, given the pandemic, and given how many people are struggling now,. really think, is there anyone in your own network who might be feeling lonely? If you non't justk phone to them, even just give them a phone call, even just send them a text. But just showing someone that you're thinking about them, that they matter to you, can make a
Author and economist Noreena Hertz of University College London talks about her book, The Lonely Century, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hertz blames social media and the individualist, pro-capitalism worldviews of leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan for the rise in loneliness in the developed world. Russ suggests some alternative causes. The result is a lively conversation about understanding and explaining social trends.