HNUH248U

In 2017, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy deemed loneliness an "epidemic." Despite the rise of social media that is meant to foster connection, over 23% of adults report being lonely and social networks have been shrinking for decades. Like a viral epidemic, widespread loneliness has grave consequences. Loneliness shortens lifespans at a rate akin to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and predicts mortality risk better than poor diet or lack of exercise. This course will explore how loneliness became a crisis--exploring potential drivers of loneliness like social media, systemic racism, homophobia, and the rise of romantic love--and what we can do about it. It will end with students developing interventions to diminish loneliness and practicing skills to connect with one another.