Tag: social connection

I remember when social media first appeared in my life. I was 14, and a friend introduced me to this thing called Facebook. At the time, I was more consumed with playing The Sims on our desktop, making careful selections at Musica to purchase a single CD with my favourite songs, and using Encarta CDs for assignments.

As disability or incapacity consultants, we are exposed to many individuals with physical and mental conditions, which impede their quality of life. In most cases, it is often an accumulation of factors that lead to an individual being plagued by illness.

Rural regions face a double-edged sword: a lack of skilled labour and a constant exodus of talent to urban areas. These challenges are further compounded by limited access to educational and training opportunities, hindering the development of a skilled local workforce, which in turn has a negative impact on economic growth.

E-sports, once dismissed as a frivolous pastime, has evolved into a dynamic intersection of entertainment, technology, and education. This transformation is not only reshaping perceptions but also providing significant benefits across educational levels.

The workplace is one of the most important social resources in a typical adult’s life but more meetings, faceless chats and fewer work friends is fuelling an epidemic of loneliness. Right now, people are experiencing a surge in loneliness so profound that the American Surgeon General has characterised it as an epidemic. Some believe remote and flexible work is at fault, fraying our social ties by removing incidental interactions from our daily lives but the data tells a different story.

In today's dynamic and evolving business landscape, the concept of retirement is undergoing a profound transformation. The traditional notion of leaving the workforce at a certain age and entering a state of relaxation is being replaced by the exciting concept of "unretirement”.

The Coronavirus pandemic has shown us just how much humans crave positive, social connection. Throughout various stages of lockdown, we have seen that when people feel connected, they become happier, more engaged and highly loyal.

The only certainty in life is that there will be uncertainty - having a clear plan on how to keep employees engaged and connected can help mitigate these times. Most businesses are no strangers to challenges. However, the current global crisis has created several new challenges for businesses and employees alike. Among these new difficulties that need to be dealt with are persistent pressures that erode morale over time.

COVID-19 is wreaking havoc amongst us, not because it’s causing global physical and economic meltdown, but for exacerbating another pandemic we’ve been dealing with for decades: loneliness. Science has long recognised that loneliness is emotionally painful and can lead to a host of side effects including heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s.

We are at the second week and lockdown is still our new normal. This week would have been hyped with items signifying the Easter period. It would have also been the first long weekend since December. This would have been a much-needed break from the first quarter of the work year however we have been experiencing a break since the lockdown kicked in.