Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider

This is TED Health, a podcast from TED, and I'm your host, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is to go through an entire day without a real conversation.

You know the kind I mean, not just a quick text or a passing like, hey, how are you?

I mean an actual moment of connection where someone really sees you.

We're recording this episode in January and I see this trend happen more and more in the wintertime.

Many of us are spending more time indoors as the weather gets colder.

And sometimes the holiday season can leave us with amplified feelings of loneliness for those who are far from family or going through a difficult time.

If that's you, know that you're not alone.

Because according to experts, it turns out many of us are missing this kind of deeper connection a lot more than we'd like to admit.

And from a health perspective, social isolation really, really isn't good for us.

In this week's episode, I'm excited to bring you a conversation with Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States.

Dr. Murthy is a physician and public health leader.

He's also been sounding the alarm about what he calls the loneliness epidemic in the U.S.

for years now.

He sees social isolation as a public health crisis that can be just as deadly as heavy tobacco use.

And we're going to talk about how we got here.

Dr. Murthy and I are going to talk about social media and how our digital lives are reshaping our relationships offline.

We'll also explore some small and practical tips we can all take to rebuild connection and strengthen our well-being this new year, starting today.

Then after the interview, stick around for a TED-Ed lesson on what happens to your brain without any social contact.

But before we dive in, a quick break to hear from our sponsors.