Wired for Division, Longing for Belonging
- Kedri Ladewig
- Oct 1, 2025
- 2 min read
We live in a paradox. Never before have we been so connected—messages pinging, feeds scrolling, faces smiling back at us from glowing screens—yet the World Health Organization now calls loneliness a global health crisis.
How can we have thousands of digital ties and still feel profoundly alone?
The answer lies in the difference between contact and connection.
Contact is measurable: followers, unread messages, mutuals on an app.
Connection is felt: the warmth of being understood, the comfort of trust, the deep recognition that we matter to someone else.
When we collapse connection into contact, we risk confusing the illusion of closeness for the real thing. Our nervous systems, our bodies, and our hearts don’t register a heart emoji the same way they do a hug or a long, unhurried conversation.
Division by Design
It’s not just personal. Disconnection is often engineered. Political campaigns, media outlets, and social platforms have learned that outrage fuels attention—and attention fuels profit. The more polarized we are, the more we scroll. The more fractured we feel, the easier it is for institutions to shape our narratives.
News cycles amplify conflict more than common ground.
Social media algorithms reward divisive posts over nuanced dialogue.
Political rhetoric often frames neighbors as enemies instead of allies.
This “manufactured division” keeps us wired in, but leaves us relationally malnourished. We end up arguing with headlines or avatars instead of engaging with the real, complex humans sitting across the table. The result? Rising anxiety, mistrust, and a chronic sense of isolation—even when surrounded by noise.
When disconnection is cultivated at a cultural level, loneliness becomes not just an individual struggle, but a public health emergency. And it takes intentional resistance to choose connection in a world that profits from our disconnection.
Longing for Belonging
True connection is slow, embodied, and reciprocal. It doesn’t scale into millions—it roots itself in the few. A neighbor who notices when you’re gone. A friend who knows your silence is sometimes louder than your words. A partner who remembers how you like your coffee.
Belonging isn’t about never being alone—it’s about knowing that when you reach out, someone will reach back. In a culture wired for division, choosing to belong to one another becomes an act of healing, and of quiet rebellion.
✨ Invitation: Take a pause today and reach out to someone in a way that goes beyond the scroll. Ask a genuine question. Share something true. Notice what shifts when “wired for division” turns into “longing met with belonging.”
✨ Resource: Staying Connected in a Divided Media Landscape
1. Pause before sharing. Ask: does this bring people together or push them apart?
2. Limit outrage scrolling. Set a time cap, then step back into presence.
3. Seek nuance. Follow voices that honor complexity, not just conflict.
4. Rebalance. For every hour online, add real-world grounding—eye contact, breath, movement, conversation.
💡 Small shifts help us move from being wired into division to being rooted in belonging.
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