How In-Person Events Can Help Us Fight Loneliness

In a world that is, technically speaking, more connected than ever before in human history, Americans find themselves isolated, atomized, and without a feeling of greater purpose.

Like a fish without its school, humans have lost an integral protective layer: community.

At this point, myriad studies have revealed the detriments of loneliness, both physiologically and psychologically. That is, when we are without this important protective layer – typified by one’s neighborhood, friends, and family - we become vulnerable to a slew of maladies, not to mention the potential erosion of America’s civic and communitarian ethos.

In post-Covid America, nearly 60% of citizens say they experience feelings of loneliness.

The increasing awareness of this epidemic – thanks, in large part, to former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s 2023 advisory report - has unleashed an explosion of innovative ideas and social prescriptions. Some have recommended apps like Bumble BFF, which can facilitate platonic friendships, while others have emphasized community design and New Urbanist approaches, such as pocket neighborhoods and mixed-use zoning.

Where, though, do live events come into play?

A newly published study in Social Psychological and Personality Science finds that live events can be instrumental in fostering social connection.

Not all events, though, are created equal.

For this study, researchers recruited over 1,500 eventgoers and surveyed them about the optimal conditions for fertile social ground. What, in other words, makes one event more conducive to social connection than another?

What they found was that live events that require active participation on the part of the attendees, as opposed to passive consumption; take place on a recurring basis; and that are in-person lead to the most connection, thus aiding in the amelioration of loneliness and social isolation.

"Some events are going to create more connection than others,” Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, report co-author and professor of psychology at Bringham Young University, told me in an interview.

Dr. Holt-Lunstad, who has been conducting research on social connection for over two decades, was the lead author of the aforementioned paradigm-bending Surgeon General advisory report that put this issue on the map.

Regularly occurring in-person events that demand a degree of participant engagement, she reiterated, are best as far as social connection goes.

But what about the homebody that would rather forgo in-person mingling, opting instead for virtual events like webinars? I mean, that was what we did for much of the Covid pandemic.

“In some ways, we’ve become kind of comfortable using the tools that helped us cope with isolation,” Dr. Holt-Lunstad told me, “and in some ways, that’s kind of reinforcing isolation because it’s so convenient.” “Our data,” she continued, “shows that there is a clear distinction between in-person and virtual events, with in-person being superior."

I guess that means that America’s couch potatoes will have to go clothes shopping.

What’s more, they’ll have to get used to, not just observing from the backrow, but taking a more active role in live events.

Shannon Vyvijal, Associate Communications Manager for the Foundation for Social Connection, told me that their events are heavily prompt-driven. “We always start our presentations and meetings with a ‘moment of connection.’” This usually takes the shape of a fun, disarming question that allows participants to laugh and relax; it essentially sucks the stuffiness out of the room. “This sets the tone that we’re not here for a professional conference; we’re here to learn about each other as people.”

Events like these entail a high degree of intentionality. That is, eventgoers cannot be expected to make friends and forge connections entirely on their own; organizers must facilitate connection and actively coax people out of their shells. Dr. Holt-Lunstad told me about a Foundation for Social Connection event she attended a few years back wherein, for the lunch program, people were assigned to tables and facilitators were scattered throughout the venue, ensuring that conversation was smooth and that no one felt excluded.

I can tell you firsthand: this approach works. Earlier this year, I attended an event in NYC hosted by Reading Rhythms, a new group that puts on one-of-a-kind book events. As written on their press website, their events “weave in thoughtful programming throughout to help our readers connect over their books as icebreakers, helping our attendees to use literary themes to break down walls between each other.”

When I went, the conversations, which happened between increments of reading, were enthusiastic and engaging. The two chapter leaders scanned the venue, ensuring that all participants felt included.

This all goes back to the concept of intentionality: organizers must prioritize, not just booking great talent for speaking engagements and the like, but creating an environment conducive to connection.

Luckily, organizations like the Foundation for Social Connection, which actively releases resource guides to aid community leaders in facilitating meaningful events, continue to fight the good fight against loneliness and social isolation.

Though the battle is far from over, there is good reason for optimism.

Frank Filocomo is the Advancement Coordinator at RealClearFoundation. His work has been published in National Review, the Federalist, University Bookman, and elsewhere.