Human connection is more important than ever

In a world where AI and social media dominate our culture

Is it because of human disconnection that we are all keen to have human connection? Is modern technology weakening or redefining our interactions? And how does all of that affect our shared culture?

There is a growing epidemic of loneliness worldwide with recent reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighting the severe health risks associated with human disconnection. We looked at this dilemma closer, a dilemma in which you might find yourself right now.

You’re reading this on a screen. You’re talking to your friends through a screen. We can access the whole world through our screens, and connect with anyone around the globe.

And yet, young people are feeling lonely. “I knew lots of people, but I didn’t feel close to anyone,” is what an international student from India told Cassandra San Carlos for our lead story:

But being alone doesn’t necessarily mean being lonely. Increasingly, some travellers are deciding to go solo. And thus, solo travelling has developed into a business for influencers, as Anna Savage explores:

No matter where you travel, people are not only struggling to connect with each other but also with our mother nature. Our writer Jon Miller tried to reconnect to the wild:

Human Connection goes so much further than our daily interactions, it touches all areas of our lives. Caitlin Tkach considers how women are navigating the arts as an area of Balancing Gender Inequality.

Fran Seabrook talks about how fangirls feel like it’s an act of rebellion to find belonging through a mobile when many claim it takes away from human connection.

Sungmin Ahn shows us how it’s ok to fall in front of others and keep persisting. Further afield we see how Japanese cinema is received in the West and creating connection between cultures.