PSY1917: The Changing Face of Community and Connectedness

What is community? What is connectedness? Conversely, what is isolation? What is loneliness? Why do they matter? How are they changing in the digital age? People find community and connectedness in all kinds of different groups and through all kinds of different mediums. Yet, some remain isolated and others feel alone despite seemingly being connected. Crucially, whether people find community and connectedness and with whom they find it has profound impacts on their lives. It impacts their work, leisure time, happiness, health, and even their identity. We will explore the effects of connection and the consequences of isolation as we examine topics such as finding connection on a college campus, the role of music and art in connection, the effect of national crises, and whether technologies like Facebook and Tinder have changed how we connect with one another with the aim of understanding the current state of community and connection.

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