When faced with danger humans usually band together, but social distancing stops this impulse. German researchers argue this dilemma actually poses a greater threat to society than overtly antisocial behaviors. One of the paper authors on this topic argues that in the pre-pandemic world, the internet and social media were often seen as unsocial. But in times like the present, they provide an “acceptable and effective alternative to physical contact—insofar as they enable social interactions in the absence of physical contiguity.” He adds that, “How well, and for how long, our need for social contact can be satisfied by social media remains to be seen.”
