Loneliness: The Secret Epidemic | Stephanie Alexander | TEDxGainesville

In this powerful talk, Stephanie Alexander, a lawyer for more than 30 years, shares her fight against the secret epidemic of loneliness and isolation in society. Through her experience handling an unforgettable case of opioid overprescription, she realized the importance of physical and emotional connections. At times both stark and uplifting, her talk delves into the alarming statistics of loneliness and its negative impact on mental and physical health. Stephanie shares her personal experiment in combating the loneliness now so prevalent in society by intentionally connecting with the new people she meets on a deeper level. Join her as we discover the transformative power of genuine human connection—even with strangers, and the role we can all play in creating a more compassionate and less lonely world (especially as an explosion in the use of artificial intelligence threatens to fray the strained ties of humanity even further). Stephanie D. Alexander is a long-time spiritual seeker who has become obsessed with scaling the concepts of kindness, empathy, and compassion as taught by the great sages such as Jesus and the Buddha back into a humanity too often left hurting in isolation and loneliness.

Stephanie uses her experience as an innovative legislative policy and courtroom attorney to try to make the world better for humanity and, as a board member of a consciousness institute, to help spur her mission to help bring humanity back to its spiritual center. Stephanie has been involved in major legal victories that, among other things, have shaped the scope of public education and the rights of pharmacy patients in Florida. Her practice of law shifts how society functions and her practice in life of consciously connecting with other humans opens hearts.

Stephanie holds two degrees, including a law degree, from the University of Chicago. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx