Something I’ve been thinking about recently is relationships and how to create more meaningful connections in an ever-more chaotic world. With the hangover of social isolation and increased polarisation, this feels more vital than ever. So how do we connect to each other and the world around us?

It’s been said that adults, especially in the US, are undergoing what psychologists describe as a ‘friendship recession’, created by the perfect storm of a general sense of loneliness from being overworked, society fracturing, and a lack of time to invest in what are often the most important and overlooked relationships in our lives: our friendships.

Gen Z, in particular, spends more time chronically online, either doomscrolling or posting dopamine-boosting, curated images of themselves to the point that reality gets a bit blurred. Does this make them feel more connected? As with most issues in the modern world, the answer isn’t straightforward. Perhaps, then, the root of feeling connected is to place more emphasis on trying to understand ourselves and each other.