Building Community to Beat Loneliness in Our Digital World

In today’s tech-driven world, where screens often replace real conversations, building community has never been more important—especially for our elderly neighbors and those most vulnerable. At a time when technology promises connection, many of us are feeling more isolated than ever.

A recent article by Bill McCormick, published on May 21, 2025, in First Things, titled “A Pope for the AI Era,” explores this issue from a faith-based perspective, highlighting how social media and artificial intelligence (AI) are subtly but steadily pulling us away from meaningful human connection. While McCormick’s lens is spiritual, the takeaway resonates far beyond religious circles: we must act to rebuild the bonds that tie us together — as friends, as family, and as members of our communities.

Here in the coastal communities of southern Pinellas County—from Treasure Island and Madeira Beach to St. Pete Beach and Gulfport—this message hits close to home. By publishing the Citizen Beach newsletter, starting the Neighbor4Neighbor program with the Life Intervention Focus Team (LIFTTI.org), and advocating for a small-town future for Treasure Island, I’m working to bring people together and fight the isolation caused by technology.

McCormick rightly points out that technology offers convenience and even moments of joy. However, it often encourages us to choose curated online experiences over the beautifully imperfect reality of face-to-face connections. The result? Fewer opportunities to truly listen, understand, and grow together. Studies consistently show that this shift is fueling a rise in loneliness, especially in Western societies—and we’re not immune here in our own backyard.

This trend is especially troubling for those already facing challenges, such as seniors living alone on limited incomes or families struggling with rising consumer prices and local government taxes that seem to increase but rarely decrease. When we default to virtual interactions, we may unknowingly widen the gap, making it harder for those who need real human support to find it. As LIFT-TI’s blog post, Face-To-Face Contact Makes Us Healthier — LIFT | Life Intervention Focus Team, explains, in-person relationships are critical to our well-being.

But here’s the good news: we are not powerless. Families and neighbors aren’t just impacted by technology—we can also be the solution. When we invest time and attention to our friends, families, neighbors, and communities, we build what McCormick calls “schools of humanity”—places where we grow, support one another, and develop the emotional muscles that keep our local neighborhoods and cities strong.

That’s exactly what I’m working towards through the Citizen Beach newsletter and with LIFT’s Neighbor4Neighbor program. By sharing local stories, reaching out to neighbors, and encouraging civic engagement, we’re helping residents shape the future of our coastal towns. Neighbor4Neighbor is about looking out for the person next door—checking in, lending a hand, and building the kind of trust that makes a neighborhood feel like home. Local civic associations also play a vital role, hosting events that bring people together and foster a spirit of cooperation and care.

If we let technology define our lives, we risk losing what makes us most human—our connection to one another. But by choosing to invest in our communities and preserve the small-town character of our cities, we can push back against isolation. In doing so, we create a future where everyone feels seen, supported, and truly connected.

Maintaining a small-town atmosphere isn’t just about charm—it’s essential to fostering the kind of daily face-to-face interactions that build strong, connected communities. Thoughtful and creative urban design and zoning play a critical role in this. Walkable neighborhoods, human-scale buildings, and community gathering spaces make it easier for neighbors to meet, chat, and look out for one another. That’s why it’s so important for city commissioners in our municipalities to resist pressure to loosen restrictions on building height and density in pursuit of short-term development gains.

When we chase outside investment at the expense of livability, we risk eroding the very foundation of what makes our cities special—and the unique community connections that keep loneliness at bay.

Let’s keep working together to lift each other up—not the height of buildings. The best way to fight loneliness isn’t through an app or a skyline of high-rises but through the power of human connection, one neighbor at a time.