What changes could shape our capacities, opportunities, and motivation for social connection in the future?

Investigating this question is critical at a time when Canadian society (as well as societies around the world) faces two major issues: widespread feelings of loneliness, and a decline in feelings of trust in others and in institutions. These issues suggest that the stakes of this research are high. Understanding the changing nature of social connection may hold the keys to ensuring the long-term wellbeing of an aging population, and to safeguarding the health and integrity of the democratic institutions that form the backbone of our society.

This research highlights four key areas of change that could fundamentally shift social connections for society as a whole, and how they might shape the public policies of tomorrow.