Now that social distancing (and social isolation, in some cases) will most likely be the world’s new normal, our social lives will be greatly affected. And, alongside our social lives, our survival and longevity will also be affected, as these things are connected.
A new paper published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences explores the wide-ranging, negative consequences that social isolation has on our psychological well-being and physical health, including decreased life span. The paper was co-authored by Associate Professor Danilo Bzdok (McGill University and Mila Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute) and Emeritus Professor Robin Dunbar (University of Oxford).
Associate Professor & Canada CIFAR Artificial Intelligence Chair Danilo Bzdok, said, ‘We are social creatures. Social interplay and cooperation have fuelled the rapid ascent of human culture and civilization. Yet, social species struggle when forced to live in isolation. From babies to the elderly, psychosocial embedding in interpersonal relationships is critical for survival. It is now more urgent than ever to narrow the knowledge gap of how social isolation impacts the human brain as well as mental and physical well-being.’
Head over at Neuroscience News for more details about this study.
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