Social Connection Archives

Should You Talk to Strangers?

by Dr. Teralyn Sell, PhD | Sep 28, 2026 | Human Behavior, Question of the Week, Social Connection

Most of us have absorbed a rule about public life: leave strangers alone. It’s not an irrational rule. People are busy. Some want privacy. Some situations are plainly not safe or appropriate for conversation. And no one needs another person treating a train ride,...

Can Your Phone Change a Conversation?

by Dr. Teralyn Sell, PhD | Sep 28, 2026 | Question of the Week, Relationships, Social Connection

Most of us have probably had this experience: you’re talking to someone, they glance at their phone, answer a notification, then say, “Sorry, what were you saying?” Nothing dramatic happened. No one left. No one yelled. The conversation simply lost its thread. We tend...

Can Loneliness Change How You Think?

by Dr. Teralyn Sell, PhD | Sep 28, 2026 | Brain Health, Question of the Week, Social Connection

We tend to talk about loneliness as if it belongs in the same category as a bad mood. You feel lonely. You call a friend. You join something. Problem solved. But I wondered whether that framing misses something bigger. If loneliness persists, does it merely make life...

Should You Talk to Strangers?

Can Your Phone Change a Conversation?

Can Loneliness Change How You Think?

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