In a recent Medium piece, Supportiv proposes the real root of America’s loneliness epidemic – and a way to solve it.

Supportiv’s unique perspective on the loneliness epidemic comes from the nature of our peer support chats. They’re spaces where people can freely express themselves and their stigmatized struggle with loneliness.

As such, the author on the Supportiv team notes a major root of our society’s loneliness epidemic:

Without places for people to express the turmoil they experience, it gets turned inward, warping how we interact with each other and ourselves.

The article suggests you have to feel safe being vulnerable to really feel fulfilled by others’ company. Otherwise, socializing feels hollow and forced, which makes you just want to push people away.

So, Supportiv’s idea is that you can get comfortable being your true, vulnerable self in anonymous safe space like their peer support chats. That makes it easier to then be more open and forthcoming in real life.

Solving the loneliness epidemic won’t be easy. But if we embrace openness, vulnerability, and authenticity, we’ll be on the right track. Read the full piece here, on Medium.