This is an I-Heart podcast.

Good morning. This is Laura.

Welcome to the new corner office, the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the new world of work, where location and hours are more flexible

than in the past. Today's tip is to connect beyond social media. We can use social media to feel

connected and it can fill a real need, but don't let it be the only way that you fill that

need, even now.

This episode comes from a letter I got from a listener who had moved to a new country following her spouse's job.

She was working from home, and while she noted that this had been great,

I do find myself going to social media a lot as a way to connect to people, since I don't get to

chat with anyone throughout my workday, she said. Work calls tended to be mostly about work.

She found herself slipping down the rabbit hole of social media, but it was hard to avoid,

since Instagram and WhatsApp were the quickest way to have the equivalent of a water cooler conversation.

Any tips on how I can fulfill this need of mind to feel connected to people without turning to social media, she asked.

Humans are social creatures and so this listener is absolutely right that connection is a need.

Social media can quickly create a sense of connection.

You feel part of a group when you are all mocking a funny story in the news, or gushing over a picture, or arguing over a clickbait headline. It's a quick hit. The problem, of course, is that much of our social media

consumption is pretty passive. You read an article and read the comments. You respond to some

famous person's post. This person does not actually know you. This isn't real socializing.

Some real socializing is possible online. Certain niche

communities can be truly supportive, and I don't want to minimize that. But I'd say that at least

80% of the time, that is not what is happening. So I thought our listener needed to recognize

that social media is what I might call effortless

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