Episode 9
Combating Loneliness in the Digital Age
Featuring Dr. Jean Twenge
January 20, 2026
Dr. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of Generations, joins Cornerstone University’s Gerson Moreno-Riaño to examine the loneliness epidemic from psychological, cultural, and policy perspectives. Drawing on her research into generational trends, Twenge traces the sharp rise in teen loneliness to the proliferation of smartphones around 2012 and discusses how social media, while nominally “social,” often substitutes shallow digital interaction for the in-person connection that prevents loneliness. The conversation explores the difference between choosing solitude and suffering from loneliness, the role of the U.S. Surgeon General’s report in framing the crisis, and how structural shifts — from suburban car culture to the decline of civic organizations documented in Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone — have eroded community life. Twenge and Moreno-Riaño also consider what families, churches, and schools can do to restore social connectedness, including no-phone policies during the school day, the importance of in-person worship and fellowship, and the cultivation of civic humility across political divides. Listeners will gain a research-grounded understanding of why loneliness has surged, what distinguishes it from simply being alone, and how communities can begin to rebuild meaningful human connection.