Kasley Killam, MPH ’20, is a recent SBS graduate interested in well-being that comes from connection and community. She has recently written “In The Midst Of The Pandemic, Loneliness Has Leveled Out” in the Scientific American.
“According to several recent studies, loneliness has not only leveled out but, in certain cases, actually improved,” she writes. “Social distancing has made us recognize the importance of our relationships, which influence health and mortality as much as factors such as smoking and excessive drinking.”
Killam, particularly, stresses the difference between isolation and loneliness. A person who is isolated is objectively alone. On the other hand, a person who is lonely is subjectively disconnected from others.
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly created more social isolation worldwide but many are still finding ways to connect with each other either in person or virtually.
