In order to understand how poetry (either by actively composing or passively listening) can help combat the human connection crisis, I would like to speak with Ms. Laura Santner. Ms. Santner is a licensed clinical social worker, a registered poetry therapist, a certified mentor and also a certified clinical anxiety treatment professional. She is licensed in both New York and New Jersey. Ms. Santner is currently the President of the National Association of Poetry Therapy (NAPT).

In order to understand how poetry (either by actively composing or passively listening) can help combat the human connection crisis, I would like to speak with Ms. Megan Baxter. Ms. Baxter is an Interlochen Online instructor and an author. She has won numerous national awards including Pushcart Prize. Her work has been listed in The Best American Essays of 2019. Ms. Baxter mentors young writers and loves developing cross-genre and innovative creative writing teaching style for her classes.

The crisis of connection is a widespread, systemic rise in loneliness, social isolation, and declining empathy, driven by the digital world, individualism, and the astronomical rise in inequality. Despite living in an age of hyper-connectivity, where digital communication tools allow people to reach across continents instantaneously, people have become increasingly disconnected from themselves, each other, and the world around them. This disconnection can lead to severe mental and physical health consequences, such as substance abuse, depression, anxiety, suicide, homelessness, and violence against others. Loneliness is a modern epidemic and the crisis of connection is a major threat to both individual well-being and societal stability. Understanding why human connection matters is crucial to combating this growing crisis, and it is more important than ever to find ways to bridge gaps among individuals and communities.

Hi everyone, my name is Anna Nguyen, and you’re listening to “the Crisis of Connection” where I’ll be talking to experts about strategies for bridging the gaps and strengthening the connections between us in an increasingly digital world.

I’ll be asking how everyday practices like music and poetry can help us combat the human connection crisis. I love writing and reading poetry to residents in nursing homes, and I also enjoy playing piano and viola at nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice centers. Music and poetry act as powerful mediums for interpersonal curiosity by creating shared emotional experiences, reducing isolation, fostering cultural connection, and building empathy.

I hope my podcast can raise awareness of the crisis of connection and promote music and poetry as artistic forms of connection between individuals and their communities. I strive to be a passionate activist for the crisis of connection in our world. So, thank you for following me on this journey. Together, we can find ways to solve the problem of the crisis of connection.