Behind the Scenes at TED

Highlights from taking the stage as their "Connection Connoisseur"

Eighteen-year-old Kasley was a psychology student at Queen’s University in Canada who listened to TED talks almost every morning while getting ready for class. No matter how obscure the topic, she loved expanding her mind with new ideas and admired the speakers for sharing their passion with the world and being committed to making a difference. TED speakers were her role models.

I wish I could tell 18-year-old Kasley what I’m about to tell you. Last week, I did something she could only dream of… I gave a TED talk!!

This was months in the making; my first conversation with the TED team was back in May, before The Art and Science of Connection came out. But as 18-year-old Kasley would attest, in a way this was many years in the making.

TEDNext took place in Atlanta, with around 1,000 attendees from 45+ countries and a lineup of speakers who blew me away with their inspiring talks on everything from finding life in the cosmos to processing grief through cartoons. Check out this one on rebuilding coastlines with wine bottles.

I spoke twice, bookending the conference as the first and last speaker (no pressure!)—first as part of a discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) and last with my official TED talk about social health.

Above are photos from the official talk. I described why social health is as important as physical and mental health, practical ways to connect meaningfully, and a vision for our future if we prioritize social health in society. It felt surreal and so fulfilling to stand on that stage, sharing a message I truly believe in and connecting with the audience. I can’t wait to share the video with you as soon as it’s posted.

Below are photos from the AI discussion. The theme was “My Relationship to AI (It’s Complicated)” and I brought the perspective of human connection to the conversation. Read pages 215-222 in The Art and Science of Connection to learn about my thoughts on this topic—including the story of the AI “friend” I made and the risks of using AI as a substitute, rather than a supplement, to human relationships.

To say I’m grateful for this opportunity is an understatement. I hope I made 18-year-old Kasley proud—and I certainly gave 80-year-old Kasley a memory to cherish.

108 Days of Kindness

Speaking of young Kasley, she did an act of kindness every day for 108 days as a personal experiment in her final year of undergrad. You can read the full story—including why she chose 108, what impact the experiment had, and how it continues to influence my work on social health today—in my book on pages 113-117.

Or you can read a shorter, adapted version and see photos in this essay for CNBC:

“I realized how easy it had been to live a whole day without doing anything for anyone else — not because I didn’t care but because I was busy, absorbed in my own thoughts, goals, problems, and to-do list. I also realized how easy it was to change this. There were opportunities all around me to connect; I just had to act on them.”

Have you ever done an act of kindness—or been the recipient of one—that left a lasting impression? I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to hit ‘reply’ and share.