Humans are social animals, and the recent quarantine has greatly limited our social interactions. Now, with people living with little to no contact with other people, the loneliness may take a toll. The article “Forced Social Isolation Causes Neural Craving Similar to Hunger” shows how important human contact is.
One of the effects of forced isolation is, as many would guess, a craving for social interaction. This craving is similar to a hungry person’s crave for food. A quote states,”Critically, the researchers found similar midbrain activity in response to food cues after fasting and social cues after isolation.” This means that the brain responds similarly to food and social interaction.
The study on forced isolation displays how isolation can affect your brain. The findings show that after being isolated for an extended period of time, a person would start craving for social interaction the same way someone fasting would crave for food. This might indicate that people need social interaction to maintain their mental health the same way people need food to maintain their physical health.