Annette Corsino-Blair says weakened social spaces contribute to loneliness and urges local organizations to host monthly, free or low-cost, phone-free gatherings for a year. The 2025 WHO report she cites says roughly one in six people worldwide experience loneliness.
The piece also cites an estimated 871,000 deaths annually associated with loneliness. A 2025 study using a decade of American Time Use Survey data identified homes, workplaces and “third places”—informal settings such as libraries, parks, cafés and community venues—as important sources of everyday social connection.
Corsino-Blair argues that remote work, distance between family members and phone use can displace chance conversations. She sees digital communities as useful for maintaining ties and finding shared interests, but as a bridge to in-person connection rather than a substitute for it.
