[act-ma] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Cambridge Forum December 7: LONELINESS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

[director at cambridgeforum.org]

For immediate release:

LONELINESS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

According to UCLA researchers, 35% of Americans today report  
themselves to be chronically lonely.  This growing epidemic persists  
in a digital age, where we are purportedly more “connected” than ever.  
  But what does it mean to have lots of Facebook friends, yet no one  
to talk to?

Please come and take part in the next Cambridge Forum on December 7th  
at 7 PM at First Parish Church, 1446 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge.  
The subject is timely for the season and the event is free, and open  
to all.

Join the discussion as Cambridge Forum investigates one of the most  
urgent issues facing American society in the 21st Century -  
loneliness. Loneliness is not just a painful sense of emotional  
isolation it is also the root cause of many serious health problems.   
We will attempt to unravel some of the causes of this pernicious  
condition and consider the ways to ward off, or at least alleviate,  
the curse of loneliness.

With the help of four great minds from different disciplines, all of  
whom have written extensively on the theme of friendship or  
loneliness, we will consider why loneliness is a such a growing  
sociological phenomenon in our hi-tech, super-wired world.  
Neuroscientific research seems to suggest that our brains are indeed  
wired to connect, but they prefer human rather than digital  
interaction.  So what constitutes true friendship and can a device  
ever substitute for the power of human touch?

Our panel consists of Dr. Terry Freiberg, a social psychologist and  
author of “Four Seasons of Loneliness”; Dr. Amy Banks, a psychiatrist  
at Wellesley Centers for Women and author of “Wired to Connect: The  
Surprising Link between Brain Science and Strong, Healthy  
Relationships”; Professor Alex Pentland, who directs the MIT  
Connection Science and Human Dynamics Labs and co-author of a recent  
study in the journal PLOS , “Are you Your Friends’ Friend? Poor  
Perception of Friendship Ties”; and Professor Alexander Nehamas,  
Princeton Philosopher and author of the book “On Friendship”.

For more information:
Contact MARY STACK 617-495-2727 or director at cambridgeforum.org


Mary Stack, Director
Cambridge Forum
3 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-2727