Reframing the Conversation on Loneliness

Plus, a sneak peek inside my book!

Yesterday, I published an op-ed in STAT News that I feel is one of the most important things I’ve written.

Loneliness is an issue I truly care about. When I applied to the Harvard School of Public Health in 2018, the essay that got me in was about loneliness. I’ve led programs, advised organizations, hosted events, written articles, judged national competitions, and given talks on loneliness for years. And I will continue to do so, because a lot of people struggle with feeling disconnected. It’s important to destigmatize that experience, have compassion for ourselves and others, and provide support.

However.

I also believe that it’s time to reframe the conversation in an empowering way—and that we will have more impact by doing so. This op-ed explains why and how.

“I believe it’s time to shift the strategy from reactively responding to loneliness to proactively promoting social health… Targeted efforts that help the subset of people who are truly suffering from chronic loneliness must be complemented with broader initiatives that advance social health for all.”

I would love to know your reflections after reading it. Does it resonate? How might it apply to the work you do? Feel free to hit ‘reply’ or leave a comment, and please share the article with your colleagues to spark more discussion.

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Your sneak peek inside my book 👀

Surprise! I’m giving my newsletter community an exclusive first look inside The Art and Science of Connection two weeks before it’s out to the public—revealing everything you can look forward to reading about when you get your copy!

I purposely wrote the book to be accessible to people across ages and backgrounds. I hope teens, older adults, and everyone in between will read it.

And apparently it resonates with younger kids, too! Luke Wall, the executive director of Only7Seconds, read an advance copy to prepare for interviewing me on his podcast. Then he made my heart sing by posting this on LinkedIn:

“Last night we had family dinner and I had a 30+ minute conversation with my boys about health. I explained to them the value of the three pillars of health—physical, mental, and social. Then we discussed some of Kasley Killam’s suggestions for a healthy social life. I couldn’t recommend her new book more… It’s packed full of evidence-based recommendations that even a 6- and 8-year-old can understand and use. A world with #NoMoreLonelyYouth begins with going upstream and having these conversations at early stages of life. Thank you, Kasley, for helping lead the way for this!”

🥰🥰🥰

P.S. My interview on the morning news in Arizona aired last week. Watch it here.