Dr. Laurie Santos

But ultimately, we're getting rid of the human in these interactions. And our primate brains are left with the little NutraSweet dribbles of connection when what we really need is something in real life and in real time.

But ultimately, we're getting rid of the human in these interactions. And our primate brains are left with the little NutraSweet dribbles of connection when what we really need is something in real life and in real time.

Yeah. I mean, the diabolical part is It's having a real consequence for our happiness. It's certainly having a real consequence for loneliness. You look at rates of loneliness in young people who've grown up with these technologies and you see things like, you know, young people today report being lonely at rates of like 70, 75%, right? More people are lonely, extremely lonely than not right now.

Yeah. I mean, the diabolical part is It's having a real consequence for our happiness. It's certainly having a real consequence for loneliness. You look at rates of loneliness in young people who've grown up with these technologies and you see things like, you know, young people today report being lonely at rates of like 70, 75%, right? More people are lonely, extremely lonely than not right now.

Yeah. I mean, the diabolical part is It's having a real consequence for our happiness. It's certainly having a real consequence for loneliness. You look at rates of loneliness in young people who've grown up with these technologies and you see things like, you know, young people today report being lonely at rates of like 70, 75%, right? More people are lonely, extremely lonely than not right now.

I mean, your point is well taken, right? If anything, they grow up lonely. So if they're self-reporting being lonely now, it might be even worse than it might be kind of getting worse over time. Yeah. And so, I mean, it's all self-report data, right? So people, you know, on a scale of one to 10, how lonely are you feeling? But the fact that 75% of people are saying, yeah, I feel extremely lonely.

I mean, your point is well taken, right? If anything, they grow up lonely. So if they're self-reporting being lonely now, it might be even worse than it might be kind of getting worse over time. Yeah. And so, I mean, it's all self-report data, right? So people, you know, on a scale of one to 10, how lonely are you feeling? But the fact that 75% of people are saying, yeah, I feel extremely lonely.

I mean, your point is well taken, right? If anything, they grow up lonely. So if they're self-reporting being lonely now, it might be even worse than it might be kind of getting worse over time. Yeah. And so, I mean, it's all self-report data, right? So people, you know, on a scale of one to 10, how lonely are you feeling? But the fact that 75% of people are saying, yeah, I feel extremely lonely.

That's sad. I mean, our primary ancestors, if they could look at us, would be like, what? These wonderful social brains.

That's sad. I mean, our primary ancestors, if they could look at us, would be like, what? These wonderful social brains.

That's sad. I mean, our primary ancestors, if they could look at us, would be like, what? These wonderful social brains.

The problem is I think what loneliness is a recognition of is you know you kind of don't like this state. But I'm not sure that loneliness is causing people to seek out more social connection or Or if it is, you're seeking out the thing that is the easiest, fastest social connection you can get.

The problem is I think what loneliness is a recognition of is you know you kind of don't like this state. But I'm not sure that loneliness is causing people to seek out more social connection or Or if it is, you're seeking out the thing that is the easiest, fastest social connection you can get.

The problem is I think what loneliness is a recognition of is you know you kind of don't like this state. But I'm not sure that loneliness is causing people to seek out more social connection or Or if it is, you're seeking out the thing that is the easiest, fastest social connection you can get.

And I think this is a problem with social connection, but I think it's a problem generally with the kinds of things that make us happier because, like, we just don't have mechanisms to seek those things out. They just kind of don't code in our reward system in the same way as, you know, the NutraSweetie stuff of the world.

And I think this is a problem with social connection, but I think it's a problem generally with the kinds of things that make us happier because, like, we just don't have mechanisms to seek those things out. They just kind of don't code in our reward system in the same way as, you know, the NutraSweetie stuff of the world.

And I think this is a problem with social connection, but I think it's a problem generally with the kinds of things that make us happier because, like, we just don't have mechanisms to seek those things out. They just kind of don't code in our reward system in the same way as, you know, the NutraSweetie stuff of the world.

But I think that this is the kind of thing that happens when you have easy outs for all these cravings, right? I mean, take processed food, right? You probably have a craving for certain nutritional requirements, right? You want to get vitamins or healthy stuff, but that stuff's easy. It's frictionless, right?

But I think that this is the kind of thing that happens when you have easy outs for all these cravings, right? I mean, take processed food, right? You probably have a craving for certain nutritional requirements, right? You want to get vitamins or healthy stuff, but that stuff's easy. It's frictionless, right?

But I think that this is the kind of thing that happens when you have easy outs for all these cravings, right? I mean, take processed food, right? You probably have a craving for certain nutritional requirements, right? You want to get vitamins or healthy stuff, but that stuff's easy. It's frictionless, right?