Despite endless digital connections, people increasingly crave deep intimacy but struggle to find it in modern relationships.
San Francisco: In the United States, almost half of adults are not in relationships. Many people feel lonely and sad. A new book by Justin Garcia says we are having a big problem with intimate connections.
Garcia runs a science place at Indiana University called the Kinsey Institute. He says we can talk to many people on phones and computers. But these talks do not feel deep or real. This makes people feel more alone.
The problem is bigger than just feeling lonely. When people are worried about bad things in the world, their brains get scared. This makes it hard to make friends or find love. We need safe, close relationships to feel better when bad things happen.
Garcia says we used to want close relationships more than we do now. Today’s world with phones and apps makes it hard to make real connections. This hurts our health and happiness.
People need to learn how to make deeper friendships and relationships. Just talking online is not enough. Real closeness with other people helps us feel safe and happy.