As the digital age drastically reduces the requirement for face-to-face interactions, a “loneliness epidemic” has garnered the attention of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Surgeon General. Both the CDC and the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued statements warning the public about the spread and serious physical and mental health implications of loneliness.
Murthy wrote in the New York Times, “At any moment, about one out of every two Americans is experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. This includes introverts and extroverts, rich and poor, and younger and older Americans. Sometimes loneliness is set off by the loss of a loved one or a job, a move to a new city, or health or financial difficulties — or a once-in-a-century pandemic.”
Medical school student Andrew Mohama decided to embark on a solo bikepacking journey from San Francisco to Chicago during a 2-month break from classes. Along the way, in small, dispersed rural towns, Mohama asked random people he ran into three simple, yet complex, questions.
“How do you feel about community?”
“What do you not have that you wish you had?”
And finally:
“Do you experience loneliness?”
Mohama’s focus was to listen intently, thus the film title, “The Bike Listening Tour” from Nate Mitka/Puffy Patch Films. Watch his eye- and mind-opening travels, as you may find the public’s answers and his observations and conclusions to be surprising.
This post originally appeared on gearjunkie.com
