Hyper-connectivity and Isolation

Happy New Year 2024!

Henry Peach Robinson, She Never Told Her Love, 1857.
Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Often January is a time to make resolutions that support our health and happiness, whether you choose to practice dry-January, focus on fitness and nutrition, make a promise to read more, etc.

Focusing on incorporating practices that support our individual happiness may be more important than ever. According to a recent Gallup Poll article, "clinical depression had been slowly rising in the U.S. prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but has jumped notably in its wake. Social isolation, loneliness, fear of infection, psychological exhaustion (particularly among front-line responders such as healthcare workers), elevated substance abuse and disruptions in mental health services have all likely played a role."

Another factor may be that we live in a time of hyper-connectivity to massive amounts of information, media, and each other through personal devices such as cell phones and computers. We are able to carry these devices with us which cause us to be almost constantly accessible and available to one another. As social creatures, one would think that this connectivity would be an advantage, yet we seem to be more depressed than ever.

The other day I laughed because I felt like I was suffering from consumption. I imagined myself in a Victorian-era period drama, lying in bed in a white cotton gown, endlessly scrolling as my mind and body wasted away. I know... it's a bit dramatic, but you get my point. The term for this called "Doom-scrolling", where one is caught in the addictive behavior of scrolling, sometimes for hours on end, through multiple channels of social media looking for relevant or relatable content and inspiration.

It seems paradoxical to exist in a state of hyper-connectivity and isolation. Perhaps the missing lynchpin is engagement and participation, as we don't have to contribute to social media to be consumed by it. These devices we carry in our pockets are tools rife with great potential but require thoughtful use and engagement. My hope is that we continue to seek authentic forms of connection, both online and in-person, that allow for engagement, participation, and support of one another.

I sincerely wish you the best in the coming year and look forward to truly connecting either in-person or online!

Thanks for reading!
Courtney Wasson, Executive Director

Click here to read the full Gallup Poll article on the rise of depression in the U.S.