Retro Report’s upcoming documentary covers the epidemic of social isolation and how restructuring our communities could be a solution. Over 70 people gathered at Retro Report’s office on Tuesday, May 22, for an exclusive screening of the new short film, followed by a panel discussion moderated by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, The discussion was centered around how social media and the impacts of COVID-19 have worsened a crisis of social isolation, especially among teenagers. The event, “Combatting Loneliness in the Digital Age,” was sponsored by Retro Report. The film received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and will be released in partnership with Scientific American in the coming weeks.
The panelists revealed that the current crisis of loneliness preceded the pandemic, and talked about the role that social infrastructure and social media play in forming community. They also addressed challenges to changing housing policy. Experts included Abigail Barth, Associate Program Director for the Foundation for Social Connection’s research and innovation initiatives; Dr. Jeremy Nobel, a physician and the founder and president of The Foundation for Art & Healing; Kimberly Driggins, executive director of the Washington Housing Conservancy; Molly Josephs, a project-based educator and the founder of the podcast “This Teenage Life;” and Lydia Bach, a teen contributor to the podcast.
Joseph and Bach said they have been working directly with the group that is most heavily affected by sustained loneliness: teenagers. Through the podcast This Teenage Life, Joseph has created a global community of teenagers who join together to share experiences. As Bach put it, “Little pockets of community are the most important thing.”
Barth and Driggins emphasized the importance of social infrastructure, which Driggins described as a “physical space that emphasizes intentional living.” All members of the panel emphasized that the prevalence of social isolation has not been recognized, leading to drastic consequences “Loneliness won’t just make you miserable,” Dr. Nobel said. “It will kill you.”
Attendees learned about the dangers of social isolation and the importance of human connection. “As a young person, it was vastly validating and informative to hear expert perspectives on America’s loneliness crisis, as well as the perspectives of others in my generation,” said Jasmine Wynn, a rising college sophomore. “The Retro Report video on loneliness was thought-provoking and inspiring. A Retro Report educator, Valerie Green Thomas, discussed how she “couldn’t erase the memories of students I see daily suffering from loneliness in the classrooms” as she attended the event.
ABOUT THE FILM
Isolation increased during the pandemic, but it is a phenomenon that healthcare professionals have been studying for decades, one that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has compared to the effects of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Retro Report’s 10-minute film explores the dangers of social isolation and the rising movement to create communal housing as a possible solution. The film discusses the role of communities in addressing social isolation through living environments, making them more intentional and collaborative.
DAGMAR ROTHSCHILD is an education intern at Retro Report. She is an undergraduate at Georgetown, studying International Relations.
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