The author of “Bowling Alone” warned us about social isolation and its effect on democracy a quarter century ago. Things have only gotten worse.
Yesterday
A Guide to Election Night 2026
After two years of campaigning, the 2026 midterm election is now in the hands of the American voters.As the ballot counting begins, Nate Cohn, the chief political analyst for The New York Times, offers a guide for how to understand the results.Guest: Nate Cohn, the chief politica ... Show More
35m 17s
Nov 1
Want to Enjoy Music More? Go For a Run.
Ben Ratliff, a music critic and avid runner, always ran in silence. Then he discovered how music opened up to him — while running. It changed his entire approach to criticism and listening. He calls it “running the song.”Today, for the New York City Marathon, Ben talks with our h ... Show More
36m 12s
Jan 2025
‘The Anti-Social Century’: America’s Epidemic of Solitude—and How to Fix It
My new feature for The Atlantic magazine is called "The Anti-Social Century." It's a long article that revolves around a simple point: Americans are now spending more time alone than ever. This surging solitude is changing our personalities, our politics, our culture, and our rel ... Show More
1h 10m
Jul 2024
Social Distancing – Why They want You Isolated and Alone
…totalitarian domination as a form of government is new in that it… bases itself on loneliness, on the experience of not belonging to the world at all, which is among the most radical and desperate experiences of man. Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism Many people hav ... Show More
15m 29s
Jun 2024
David Brooks on Solving Social Isolation and Fixing Democracy
Hate crimes, gun violence, political polarization…. to New York Times’ columnist David Brooks, these are signs that America is undergoing a new epidemic: social isolation. He joins Ray Suarez to discuss his new book, “How To Know A Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Bein ... Show More
53m 38s
Jul 2025
Robert Talisse on Civic Solitude
Democracy is about acting as a group, but, surprisingly, Robert Talisse argues that what it needs to function well is a degree of solitude for citizens. In-group and out-group dynamics mean that individuals become vulnerable to being pushed towards more extreme views than they wo ... Show More
17m 42s