We’re nonetheless seeing the results of the pandemic come to fruition, however one factor could be very clear: We’re all feeling extra disconnected. The ensuing epidemic of loneliness is nicely documented by well being professionals, with 52% of People reporting that they really feel lonely and 47% saying their relationships aren’t significant.
Based on US Surgeon Basic Vivek H. Murthy, “Loneliness is way over only a dangerous feeling; it harms each particular person and societal well being. It’s related to a higher threat of heart problems, dementia, stroke, melancholy, anxiousness and untimely demise.” The mortality impression of social disconnection is akin to mortality brought on by smoking as much as 15 cigarettes a day. There may be even higher than that related to weight problems and bodily inactivity.
As entrepreneurs, we frequently depend on know-how and knowledge to form our present and future channel planning methods: programmatic media helps us purchase audiences, retail media helps us discover individuals to marketplace for our merchandise and social media helps us goal individuals primarily based upon huge quantities of walled backyard knowledge.
However when one thing as profound as a pandemic happens, it’s additionally simply as essential to take a step out of the trivia and take a look at extra macro-human developments to tell our media investments.
Larger than the eye financial system
There are a number of media channels are the channels having fun with steep progress trajectories they usually assist everybody really feel much less lonely and extra linked.
The channels which might be making individuals really feel extra linked to human emotion, actual and significant conversations and shared reside experiences are podcasts, reside purchasing, gaming, Reddit and subscriber-based content material platforms like Medium and Substack.
Whereas there was loads of business dialogue round utilizing “consideration” as a planning KPI for media, entrepreneurs don’t must seize consideration; they should present up and contribute to those environments the place individuals discover companionship and connection. The channels useful to everybody’s psychological well being will solely proceed to scale in attain and recognition as individuals transfer away from different channels that don’t have the identical profit.
