NationSwell’s 2024 Summit concluded with a fireside chat with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and a sing-along. Bestselling author and television and podcast host Kelly Corrigan hosted an incredible conversation with Dr. Murthy that covered the urgent loneliness epidemic facing our country and solutions big and small that help us build community with each other. And don’t worry, we’ll explain the singing. 

Dr. Murthy started out by providing important context for the root causes and impact of the loneliness epidemic, which impacts half of all young people and a third of adults in the United States. The consequences of social isolation can be serious – people who are socially isolated face an increased risk of heart disease, dementia, and stroke. And while there is no single root cause, Dr. Murthy pointed to several societal, cultural, and technological shifts that have contributed.

Here are some of the critical insights Dr. Murthy provided into varying intervention strategies: 

Federal policy has not met the urgency of the moment. 

For Dr. Murthy, Congress has let the proliferation of these harms go on far too long. While Congress is sitting on some legislation, we have yet to see any major bills pass beyond the state level. 

Studies have shown that while social media can help young people make connections with each other across shared interests and identities, it can also encourage feelings of exclusion, as well as several other significant mental health challenges. By capturing our attention, and by creating and reinforcing virtual connections, social media can often take the place of in-person community, leading to further social isolation. 

“We can applaud the progress that’s been made but the truth is at the end of the day that if you’re a parent trying to manage social media for your child, if you’re a young person being mercilessly bullied over social media or being exposed to really harmful content or having your privacy completely eviscerated and then being blackmailed online, all that progress isn’t meaningful.” 

Dr. Murthy went on to add, “If there’s ever a time to take a stand, to do things differently, it would be on issues like this when our kids’ health and wellbeing is at stake.”

Communities are coming together to address the loneliness epidemic. 

When it comes to addressing loneliness at the community level, Dr. Murthy was much more hopeful. 

When asked if he saw a role for business in stemming the loneliness epidemic, he said that there’s a lot that corporations and nonprofit organizations can do. “Having spaces where people can gather is important. Not just spaces, but a structure that can help people to get to know each other and their stories.” Dr. Murthy shared a few examples from his own office, including an activity called Inside Scoop, where at each all-hands meeting, one person gets to share pictures from their life outside work. 

“If this sounds familiar, it was called Show & Tell,” Dr. Murthy said, to warm laughter. “There’s a lot of kindergarten wisdom that still applies now – nap time, show & tell, sharing.” 

It’s no surprise then, that while the loneliness epidemic is affecting young people the most, they are also coming up with some of the most innovative solutions. Dr. Murthy described “hope squads,” where kids are chosen by their peers to watch and respectfully and responsibly reach out to other kids who are struggling. This was only one of many programs Dr. Murthy identified where kids and adults are creating community and supporting one another.  

“People aren’t waiting for an act of Congress to solve the issue of loneliness in America. They are figuring out what they can do in their communities,” he said. 

Intentionality is the watchword of technology’s role in building community. 

Kelly Corrigan asked the question that is top of mind for everyone as we consider how technology can improve our lives: is there a role for AI? 

“With AI we have an opportunity to think about how we can bring accurate helpful information to people in a tailored way to help them with things like their health, to be a bridge to offline, in-person connection,” Dr. Murthy said. But he was also quick to point out that we need to approach AI with intentionality, rather than view it as an unqualified good. Much like social media it can quickly become damaging if we are not vigilant about identifying harms and benefits, and then designing to those benefits. 

He went on to emphasize that this can’t be left in the hands of individuals. Social media provides another prime example here. The best product developers in the world are using some of the most advanced neuroscience to try to keep us on our phones. To put individuals up against these platforms is an unfair fight. “We can work for [tech],” Dr. Murthy said. “Or it can work for us.” Pushing back against tech special interests, ensuring that our tech works for us, must be a community effort. 

And now, to explain the singing:  

To conclude, Dr. Murthy reminded us that we are called in this moment to figure out how to rebuild a culture that values relationships, purpose, and service – in our own lives, and in what we model for our children – by building workplaces and schools centered on these values, and applying them at the policy level. 

But community is not just about policy and social science. 

“The arts have a really powerful role to play in stitching back together the social fabric of our country,” Dr. Murthy added. “Music and the arts are the language of the soul, the glue that keeps people together.” 

So it stands to reason, then, that the only way to conclude the chat, and thus the Summit, was all of us joining together in song and a reminder that we are stronger together, and that the world we want to see is ours for the building. 

For more moments from NationSwell Summit 2024, click here.