The Importance of Staying Connected

Fig. 1: The Teddy Bear Project, Nibley, Utah.

"Loneliness during the COVID-19 outbreak has become a major concern as more and more people are hunkering down in their homes in isolation," (Pugle 2020)

Licensed psychologist and PhD Deborah Roth Ledley emphasizes how important 'connectedness' is to all humans- and this is a particularly vulnerable time for loneliness. (Pugle 2020) 

The leading psychologist for St. Lukes Magic Valley, Dr. Christopher Edwards, says using the technology and electronics we have can help us "Stay connected- from a distance," (Kramer 2020).

He goes on to say that even thought the advice is usually less screen time, the current situation is the opposite for healthy mental health.  He adds the exception being looking at coronavirus information- that's when it's time to "Put the phone down," (Kramer 2020). 


Kramer, Haley. 2020. 'Idaho Psychologist Explains the Importance of Staying Connected From a Distance'. CBS2IdahoNews. March [online]. Available at:
https://idahonews.com/news/local/idaho-psychologist-explains-the-importance-of-staying-connected-from-a-distance [accessed 28 March 2020].

PUGLE, Michelle. 2020. 'How a Chat App Can Help Relieve Loneliness During the COVID-19 Outbreak.' Healthline. March [online]. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/quarantine-chat-app-may-help-relieve-loneliness-during-covid-19-outbreak [accessed 28 March 2020].