Welcome to Disconnected, life in a disruptive digital age.

I'm Farid Zakaria and this is a GPS special.

Social connection is one of the most important human needs.

It starts immediately after birth.

It's when babies go skin to skin with a parent.

Later, when we make our first friend,

and later still, when we find our tribe.

That is connection.

People make love connections

and declare their love in front of family and friends.

But in today's world, much of what I've just described is unraveling.

Many are finding themselves lonelier than ever.

Far greater sense of isolation.

More people are missing that connection.

Loneliness in isolation.

Concerns that we have to prioritize.

Loneliness is on the rise. Marriage rates are near all-time lows in America.

One in five people report feeling lonely every day,

and the number of Americans who say they have no close friends

has quadrupled in the last three decades.

Why is this happening?

It is a tumultuous time in the world.

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