Social Distancing comes with social side effects – here is how to stay connected

To fight the spread of coronavirus, government officials asked Americans to swallow a hard pill: Stay away from each other. In times of societal stress, such a demand runs counter to what evolution has hard-wired people to do: Seek out and support each other as families, friends, and communities. Priority number one is to follow the recommended social distancing guidelines to control the virus… But as with any pill, there are side effects. Psychological scientists at the University of Washington’s Center for the Science of Social Connection are seeking to help us understand the side effects of social distancing and …