Human Connection

Obviously a common theme of these readings was how important human connection is for our mental and physical health. The Facebook reading showed that it's not Facebook itself that often depresses people, but instead it's almost the fear of missing out. I wouldn't call it jealousy but it's almost like envy; it's saddening to see everyone having fun but you. I got the same impression from the drug addiction article. People aren't usually addicted to the drugs themselves but they're addicted to the lifestyle associated with these drugs.
      Imagine a heavy drug was as integrated into your life as eating was or as watching television was. You have a group of friends who do the same drug as well all the time. So in order to quit the drug it's not as simple as just stopping and continuing your life. You have to fundamentally change the way you do everything. You feel isolated because everyone who you're close with is now different than you. You immediately become the outcast. Not only that, but now you have to completely change the way normal behavior of your life. Imagine how easy it would be if every heroin addict could simply stop doing heroin and then be accepted into a loving, normal friend group that does fun, normal things. Instead of doing heroin you could go bowling, or see a movie, or hang out with a significant other. Unfortunately, this is not a common scenario. It's hard to quit using heroin, but it's even harder to completely restart your life and your behavior on a whim. It just goes to show that people need human interaction. We crave it from our birth because we are naturally social beings. To have a group of people that can offer you support and understanding, or even just someone who's willing to listen to you is far more important than we like to think.