IRL social in an increasingly digital age: what does IRL offer uniquely?

With the rise of social media and digital communication, many of us have grown accustomed to living our lives through screens. Social media has greatly expanded our options for connectivity, our number of social contacts, and the time we spend digitally connected. Still, loneliness has risen sharply among every age group around the world. The pandemic also made us acutely aware of the importance of IRL connections, as social isolation and remote work have become the norm.

What are we missing out on when we live chronically online? In this salon, Santiago Hernandez and Tope Olofintuyi will explore the various dimensions and unique features of IRL social connections.

Recommended Reading

• Loneliness is eating the world
• The digital flip: Why digital-first connections are just what our physical lives needed

Some questions we may explore:

• How important is it for you to socialize IRL?
• Are in-person connections truly crucial for our well-being, or can digital connections be just as fulfilling?
• How do the ways we communicate online differ from how we communicate offline, and why do these differences exist?
• What are the drawbacks of in-person interactions? How might these be mitigated?
• Many new social apps are enabling offline interactions through digital-first connections. How can technology enable more meaningful offline connections?
• Urban loneliness characterizes the feeling of loneliness despite living in close proximity to numerous others. For example, many people do not interact with their neighbors. What might explain this paradoxical phenomenon?