In a recent report, US surgeon-general Vivek Murthy drew attention to a concerning epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Murthy even went as far as to compare the lack of social connection to the dangers of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. This issue seems to affect men the most, with a study conducted by the Survey Center on American Life revealing that the percentage of men without any close friends has risen from 3% to 15% since 1990.
The question arises: can the workplace play a role in alleviating this problem? To delve into this topic, host Isabel Berwick engages in a conversation with Jonathan Black, columnist for the Financial Times and director of the University of Oxford’s careers service, Ethan Wu, an FT reporter and host of Unhedged, as well as Max Dickins, author of the memoir “Billy No-Mates: How I Realised Men Have a Friendship Problem”.
If you’re interested in delving further into this subject, consider exploring the following resources: “The loneliness epidemic threatens our health as well as our happiness” and “Lonely bosses seek opportunity in a crisis of disconnection”. As an FT subscriber, you can also sign up for the weekly Working It newsletter, which covers all things workplace and management, providing exclusive insights into trends, tips, and upcoming developments. Simply visit the following link to subscribe: [Link]
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This episode is presented by Isabel Berwick, with production by Audrey Tinline and Laurence Knight. Manuela Saragosa serves as the executive producer, while Simon Panayi is the sound engineer.
To access a transcript of this episode, visit FT.com.
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