A couple of days ago five students from one of my college classes were huddled near a first-floor elevator several minutes after the class had ended.  

“We’re still here talking,” one of the students said gleefully.  

I responded how thrilled I was to see a group of students talking together face-to-face. But more importantly they were obviously enjoying the interaction.  

In this day of mobile phones, social media and texting seeing students, or anyone else for that matter, talking face-to-face with someone is rare.  

A Harvard study, first published in the journal PNAS, and reported on in an article by Brooke Steinberg in the New York Post this week, proved once again what has been proved many times – we are happiest when we talk with others, even those we have little contact with on a day-to-day basis.  

My daughter was a master of this even at an early age.  

One night after a fun, but exhausting day at Walt Disney World, we were riding with fellow weary mouse enthusiasts on the midnight bus to our hotel. My daughter, around four at the time, started roaming around the back of the bus questioning people about where they we from, if they had enjoyed the day and other questions.  

Instead of blank stares or rude comments people were engaged by her questions. I don’t know whether it was her age or that fact she showed an interest in others.  

The Harvard study, according to the New York Post article, interviewed 50,000 people in eight countries. It was determined “the people who branched out had a greater well-being, life satisfaction and quality of life. Talking to a wider range of people turned out to be more important to one’s happiness than total number of interactions or time spent interacting.”  

That small group of my students proved the study’s findings. Those five students didn’t know each other before starting the class. They don’t all sit together. But they found a common ground.  

We live in a world today where people walk along looking at their phone screens instead of greeting those they pass by.  

Smiling at someone, especially someone you don’t know, results more in a cold stare response than a friendly acknowledgement. We don’t have time to engage anyone in conversation.  

I guess what really struck me about my students having so much fun talking together was the fact so many students can’t name the classmate who sits next to them, even after more than half a semester in class.  

The world has always been a lonely place, but COVID isolation has made it even lonelier. You don’t have to start a lengthy conversation with everyone you see.  

A simple hello works. Make the effort to be more connected to those around you instead of those miles away on a social media site.  

Try it. You might like it.