Social Isolation and Video Games: Escaping Connection (Social Isolation in the Digital Age Series)
In this piece from the Social Isolation in the Digital Age series, Vancouver-based counsellor Alex Henderson explores how video games can offer both refuge and risk. While gaming can create community, purpose, and joy, it can also quietly deepen isolation when virtual worlds begin to replace real-life connection. Through a mental health lens, Alex examines why games feel so rewarding, what happens when they become our primary form of connection, and how we can find balance between play, presence, and genuine human interaction.
Social Isolation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (Social Isolation in the Digital Age)
In this piece from the Social Isolation in the Digital Age series, Vancouver-based counsellor Alex Henderson explores how artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping the way we connect — offering conversation, comfort, and convenience, yet often deepening our distance from one another. Through the lens of mental health and human connection, Alex examines what happens when AI becomes a stand-in for real relationships, and how we can remain grounded in our humanity while engaging with these rapidly evolving technologies. The article invites readers to reflect on the limits of digital companionship and rediscover the value of presence, vulnerability, and authentic human connection.
Social Media and the State of Social Isolation (Social Isolation in the Digital Age Series)
In this piece from the Social Isolation in the Digital Age series, Vancouver-based counsellor Alex Henderson explores how social media has transformed the way we connect — and how it can leave us feeling more distant than ever. Through a mental health lens, Alex examines why platforms that promise community often deepen loneliness, and how we can begin to engage with them more consciously. The article invites readers to reflect on their digital habits, recognize the emotional cost of constant connectivity, and rediscover the value of real, human presence in an online world.
Towards a Path of Meaningful Connection in the Digital Age (Social Isolation in the Digital Age Series)
In the final piece of our Social Isolation in the Digital Age series, Vancouver-based counsellor Alex Henderson explores how we can begin to rebuild genuine connection in a world increasingly shaped by screens, algorithms, and artificial interaction. Drawing on insights from psychology and mental health research, Alex offers practical ways to reconnect — with others, with technology, and with ourselves — through mindful presence and intentional social practice. Whether it’s cultivating real-world moments of connection, reframing how we use our devices, or seeking support through counselling, this piece invites readers to rediscover what it means to connect in ways that feel authentic, human, and lasting.