The Crisis of Connection

Dr. Niobe Way is an internationally-recognized Professor of Developmental Psychology, the founder of the Project for the Advancement of Our Common Humanity (PACH) at NYU and the Director of the Science of Human Connection Lab. She is also a Principal Investigator of the Listening with Curiosity Project. Dr. Way received her B.A. from U.C. Berkeley and her doctorate in Human Development and Psychol...

Hi everyone, my name is Anna Nguyen, and you’re listening to Episode 1 of “the Crisis of Connection” where I’ll be talking to experts about strategies for bridging the gaps and strengthening the connections between us in an increasingly digital world. The crisis of connection is a widespread, systemic rise in loneliness, social isolation, and declining empathy, driven by the digital world, individ...

Dr. Warren Holleman has experienced a number of achievements during his career- Harvard graduate, ethic fellowship and faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine, where he taught behavioral science, medical humanities, and medical ethics and developed two community health centers for Houston’s homeless. He was also a professor and program director at MD Anderson’s Faculty Health & Well-Being...

Dr. Mei Rui is Director, Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A Yale-trained molecular biochemist and internationally award-winning concert pianist, Dr. Rui is a pioneer in Music Medicine. She spearheads MD Anderson's Music-in-Medicine Initiative and serves as Artist Collaborator at the S...

Mr. Williams is an internationally celebrated soloist and chamber musician. He is also the principal clarinetist of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra or ROCO in Houston. ROCO is Houston’s globally impactful 40- piece professional chamber orchestra with musicians and guest artists from around the world. Most recently, Mr. Williams was chosen by ROCO to launch a first-of-its-kind, innovative community ou...

In order to understand how poetry (either by actively composing or passively listening) can help combat the human connection crisis, I would like to speak with Ms. Laura Santner. Ms. Santner is a licensed clinical social worker, a registered poetry therapist, a certified mentor and also a certified clinical anxiety treatment professional. She is licensed in both New York and New Jersey. Ms. Santne...

In order to understand how poetry (either by actively composing or passively listening) can help combat the human connection crisis, I would like to speak with Ms. Megan Baxter. Ms. Baxter is an Interlochen Online instructor and an author. She has won numerous national awards including Pushcart Prize. Her work has been listed in The Best American Essays of 2019. Ms. Baxter mentors young writers an...

The crisis of connection is a widespread, systemic rise in loneliness, social isolation, and declining empathy, driven by the digital world, individualism, and the astronomical rise in inequality. Despite living in an age of hyper-connectivity, where digital communication tools allow people to reach across continents instantaneously, people have become increasingly disconnected from themselves, ea...