Real-world connection in a digital age

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I’ve always considered immersive multimedia experiences as a medium that chips away at solitude. But never did I expect we’d slide so far down the path of loneliness that it would be considered “a global public health concern,” “an epidemic of loneliness,” or a threat as harmful as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. It’s official: We’re living in an age of social isolation.

And, yet, we’ve never been this connected. Advances in technology have bridged previously insurmountable distances, keeping friends and families in close and constant contact, and given us the ability to build and sustain communities in ways, and on scales, once unfathomable. For many, they’ve proven indispensable for sharing ideas, expressing emotions, and offering support. Every single day, billions of text messages ping-pong across the world weaving us into a state of hyperconnection. So, why do we feel so alone?

Connections should be social, not just digital

At the heart of this paradox are two overlapping trends: a growing retreat from the physical world and a deepening plunge into the digital one. The internet has so overwhelmingly overhauled how we relate to each other and our world, that we now think of “connections,” “friends,” and “engagement” as the stuff of digital—not physical—life. More and more, the same can be said for shopping, playing, working, and dating. Occupied by doom-scrolling for dopamine hits, binge-watching content on demand, and being otherwise swallowed into the glow of our devices, Americans are spending 20% less time socializing in person than they did two decades ago—and plenty more within the comforts and confines of their own homes.But humans are social beings that evolved in close, physical proximity to other social beings—and are hardwired to feel better that way. Our need for social connection runs so deep that it’s been found to be as fundamental as our need for food, water, and shelter. Studies show that simply looking someone in the eyes can synchronize brain waves; physical touch releases feel-good hormones key for comfort and connection; and someone’s scent can convey their emotional state and trigger empathy in those around them.

More than “just a bad feeling” or even an epidemic, our loneliness is a valuable sign that we aren’t spending enough time together. It’s telling us that being chronically online may not be enough to combat isolation—even more, it might be getting in the way of the real-world closeness we need most.

Real connection requires real presence

In our digitally-driven world, entertainment that presents a compelling case to leave the comforts of home and gather in the real world, feels more necessary than ever. Grounded in space and in time, immersive experiences create the sense of being part of—and part of creating—a shared reality, unique and precious in its fleetingness.

But immersive experiences aren’t just about bringing people physically together; they’re about making them feel together, too. After all, haven’t we all stood in a crowd, surrounded by others, only to feel completely and utterly alone, together?

With interactive storytelling, multisensory environments, and digital art stretching into 3D, immersive experiences rely on new technologies to counter some of the very issues they’ve been blamed for causing. They invite us to engage with our environment, to feed off each other’s emotions, to linger in the in-between, and ultimately connect to something real.

The goal isn’t an intensity that takes you out of your body, but rather an attention and presence that brings you deeper into it—only to then be collectively transported into something bigger. These experiences have a way of bringing us back to a simple truth: There are some moments that can only be shared in the here and in the now.

So, perhaps the real challenge isn’t resisting the pull of new technologies, but finding ways for them to inspire connection. Our designs can invite meaningful participation, create moments of empathy, and embrace the wonderfully unfiltered chaos of real life. With each new innovation, what constitutes togetherness will keep evolving. But if we prioritize depth over distraction, and immersion over detachment, the experiences we create can be part of what makes the world a little less lonely, after all.

Now, it’s up to us to design them.

Sakchin Bessette is cofounder and executive creative director at Moment Factory.