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‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ knew the cure for loneliness

September 8, 2023 /

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The more things to do, the more people come, the more comfortable people are, the more they interact.

In her 20s, Sara Hoy made close friends in her Central Pennsylvania hometown through an organization called Third Place. The group, named after what sociologists call any social setting that’s not home (the first place) or work (the second), was led by a local church leader and sought to help young professionals build community.

In July, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat introduced legislation to form a national strategy to combat loneliness. The bill would create an Office of Social Connection Policy to advise the president and federal agencies on boosting social infrastructure and developing national guidelines for preventing loneliness, and send $5 million a year for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research the prevalence of loneliness.

Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, told me the “privatizing of space” — or when businesses become the only (and cost-prohibitive) third places — also has a lot to do with both rising isolation and income inequality.

Eliza Relman

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The City of St. Joseph Preserves the Past While Innovating Toward the Future

The City of St. Joseph, MO was seeking a partner who could modernize their aging critical infrastructure, while also respecting and preserving the town’s historic architecture. Schneider Electric designed a comprehensive, phased approach to do just that, turning facilities across St. Joseph into more efficient, reliable spaces for the community to gather and do business. The project was also a fiscal win for the town, creating an annual savings of nearly half a million dollars by improving city services and reducing operational costs.

CBS Sunday Morning – Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Brooks collaborate on “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier,”

During the pandemic, Oprah Winfrey contacted Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, famed for his lessons on happiness, and proposed teaming up to write a book about finding enjoyment and meaning in your life.

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