Two years of coronavirus have made the growing loneliness crisis even worse— with greater social isolation causing personal pain and mental and physical illnesses.

"Even before the global pandemic introduced us to terms like social distancing, loneliness was becoming the defining condition of the twenty-first century. But it's also one we have the power to reverse," says our podcast guest, economist Noreena Hertz.

Numerous surveys have found that reported cases of loneliness have jumped in recent decades. More than three-in-five Americans told a 2020 poll, conducted before the pandemic, that they felt left out, poorly understood and lacking in companionship.

Noreena Hertz is the author of "The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World Pulling Apart." Her book is a personal and deeply-researched investigation into the roots of the loneliness epidemic and what we can do to come together.

In our interview, we discuss the importance of the workplace in enhancing community, the need to reinvigorate our neighborhoods, and how governments and private enterprises can react to the increase in loneliness and alienation. We also learn more about the link between loneliness and the rise of right-wing populism.

In many different ways, the social fabric of our community is being pulled apart, causing an increase in polarization and a loss of confidence in democracy and civil institutions. Technology, including social media, migration, a radical reorganization of many workplaces, and the transactional nature of commerce have also led to a broader sense of isolation. We discuss solutions in this episode.

Recommendation: Richard and Jim use Wikipedia, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Wiki co-founder, Jimmy Wales, is the guest on a recent episode of "the Economist Asks" podcast, hosted by Anne McElvoy.

Note: This episode was first published in January, 2021.