BBC Science Focus Magazine

SOCIAL ISOLATION: WHAT DOES IT DO TO OUR BRAINS?

“The human brain is reliant on social interactions and gets a lot from them. Cutting these off abruptly isn’t going to be pleasant or easy”

Stay at home. Don’t visit friends and family, and don’t have them visit you. Keep clear of strangers. These don’t sound like particularly challenging instructions. Except, if you look at the news, at social media, or even out of the window at times, it’s clear that a lot of people are struggling with the whole ‘social isolation’ thing. Why? What could be difficult about not going to work and not engaging with others?

As it happens, everything. We humans are an

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