7 Is your smartphone making you lonely?

Lifelong Learning With A. A. Khatana · Aug 16, 2026 · 25m

We are living through a paradox where we are more digitally linked than ever, yet statistically more alone. The decline of the traditional party and the rise of the "disconnection machine" highlight a growing rift in our social fabric that spans across all age cohorts.This episode looks at the "gathering gap"—the sharp drop in social hosting—and the ways we can re-engineer our lives for togetherness. We examine how design and technology can be repurposed to remove the logistical stress of meeting up, helping us move from addictive screen time to meaningful, synchronized in-person…