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Is Anybody Out There?

Is Anybody Out There?

Written by: the Connectery
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 "Is Anybody Out There?" a podcast series about loneliness brought to you by the Connectery. Join Jeremy Warshaw and Judy D'Mello, a couple of transplanted Brits living in NYC, on their journey to discover what loneliness really is. Why is it that people get lonely? Does loneliness attack us psychologically as well as physically? Is age a factor? Why do we not have a word for the opposite of loneliness? Can we become un-lonely? Or, is it simply a symptom of our disconnected modern-day world? The duo had so many questions but the trouble is, they're no experts. So, they talked to scientists, authors, gerontologists, psychologists, urban planners, and to everyday lonely people from ages 19 to 91. What they learned was truly surprising, and even upsetting at times. Ultimately, it left them facing the biggest question of all: What kind of a society do we want to be?

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Copyright 2021 the Connectery Biological Sciences Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Episode 10: Emperor for the Day

    Episode 10: Emperor for the Day
    Apr 14 2021

    If you were emperor or empress for a day, and you were blessed with superhuman -- but benevolent -- powers, what would you do to eradicate loneliness?

    In this, the final episode of "Is Anybody Out There?", listeners from around the United States and Europe shared their answers -- really big, bold ideas for instantly ridding the world of loneliness. These were a mix of magical, wistful, and even doable strategies, but all equally thought provoking and heartwarming in their ingenuity and scope. Most of all, it's clear that people are ready to talk about loneliness, openly and honestly, and to view it as a societal ill that needs to be addressed rather than an existential issue.

    Which is why, hosts Judy and Jeremy argue, that instead of thinking of loneliness simply as an evolutionary, unavoidable experience, we must face the possibility that it's partly a modern phenomenon, born of an ever-increasing individualistic society and economic and social conditions. Now is time for policy makers, institutions and society at large to do something about it.

    Links

    Johann Hari

    "Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions"

    Dr. Sam Everington

    Social Prescribing

    Daily Haloha

    Roland Griffiths, Johns Hopkins

    Look Up Movement 2020

    Medicare Costs for Treating Isolated Older Adults

    Dr. Vivek Murthy

    "Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World"

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    25 mins
  • Episode 9: Community Architecture

    Episode 9: Community Architecture
    Apr 7 2021

    Why is that some of the world's most bustling and densely-populated cities are often the loneliest? In "Community Architecture," hosts Jeremy and Judy explore this paradox and discover that metropolises around the world were rarely developed with the well being of its inhabitants in mind. Instead, they were mostly built to pack in as many residents as possible in order to grow into economic powerhouses. As a result, looming skyscrapers, a lack of public areas in which to congregate and connect, and a dearth of green spaces, have made our cities such lonely places. And, certainly, following our collective experience of lockdown in 2020, we know now how important connection is to our wellbeing.

    Three young professionals in the field of community architecture -- an urban planner in Toronto, an urban architect in London, and an urban neuroscientist in Vancouver -- share their thoughts and ideas for designing healthier, more pro-social urban environments of the future.

    Links

    Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

    Lonely Cities Index

    World Happiness Report

    15-Minute Neighborhoods

    Olympic Village, Vancouver

    MAKE, London

    Kinship in the City Report

    Uncommon, UK

    Happy City Consultancy, Vancouver

    Davie Village, Vancouver

    Superblocks, Barcelona

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    29 mins
  • Episode 8: A Lonely Planet

    Episode 8: A Lonely Planet
    Mar 31 2021
    In 2018, the UK was the first country to appoint a Minister of Loneliness, making the issue a parliamentary priority. Japan followed suit in February, while Sweden and Australia are actively campaigning to appoint a dedicated loneliness official in their respective countries.With such a top-down commitment to tackling the loneliness crisis, change makers in these countries have the necessary support to implement successful strategies to help fight loneliness at official and community levels. Some of these initiatives are highlighted in this episode.Here in the United States, three in five Americans reported feeling lonely or isolated (pre-Covid) with the issue costing Medicare over $6 billion a year. So, why do we not have an official tasked with addressing this problem? Isn't loneliness a significant enough issue that the US government should intervene? And why are this country's loneliness resources mostly aimed at seniors, when younger generations are lonelier than ever? By engaging in this frank and honest analysis of the situation here in America and worldwide, hosts Judy and Jeremy hope it will lead to more powerful narratives of togetherness in the future.LinksLoneliness among millennials and gen Z'ers New mothers and lonelinessThe Campaign to End LonelinessThe Can't Sing ChoirThe Choir With No NameMinister of Loneliness UKThe Jo Cox Commission on LonelinessJo Cox speech to ParliamentMinister of Loneliness, JapanRobots to help with lonelinessSingle person households, worldwideThe Swedish Theory of LoveErik GandiniZygmunt BaumanColive, SwedenNo IsolationThe Loneliness ProjectAustralia campaigns for Minister of Loneliness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    28 mins
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