The friendship secret: why socialising could help you live longer

The Guardian quotes Ben Rein in an article about his research into how socializing benefits neurological health and can increase resilience to strokes, cancer and heart attacks. Rein commented on the lack of social connection in an era defined by online presence and the loneliness epidemic. “When you see facial expressions, you hear vocal tone, you see body language, you smell social smells, you experience eye contact, all of these things feed into the brain and say you’re interacting with someone,” said Rein. Social media users “are more anxious, more depressed and lonelier, which is the exact opposite of what we see in people who socialize more,” he said.