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Loneliness in America is bad and getting worse. In recent decades, participation in associations and clubs has gone down while the percentage of people living alone has increased. The negative health consequences can quite literally be life and death. 

When COVID-19 hit Michigan in 2020, we were forced to isolate ourselves for survival. But the consequences of isolation pose a continued risk to our health and well-being. In 2023, former surgeon general Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that isolation poses a health risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Today on The Metro, we’re looking at the treatment for isolation: connecting with people. And while it seems like a no-brainer, society and our built environment has changed in ways that make seeing our neighbors, friends, family and even meeting strangers more difficult. 

Guests:

• Anita Zavala: Director of Entrepreneurship and Wealth Building at the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation. The organization and many in the community are connecting with their neighbors and providing help to those affected by the water main break and flooding in Southwest Detroit. 
• Eric Klinenberg: The Helen Gould Shepard Professor in the Social Sciences and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He also led a widely-cited study on the 1995 Chicago heat wave, revealing how crucial our social connections really are. His most recent book is “2020: One city, seven people, and the year everything changed.”

We also asked listeners:

“Where do you go to connect with your neighbors and community?”

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 27, 2025: 

• A new exhibit at the Arab American National Museum gives us a window into Dearborn’s Southend neighborhood. It’s an area that Arab Americans fought to keep amid a zoning battle that lasted from the 1950s to the 70s. The exhibit features photographs of Yemeni and Lebanese people in the Southend neighborhood taken by Tony Maine during the 1960s and 70s. Exhibit Curator Dean Nessredine and Rasha Almulaiki of Adala PR Agency joined the show. On March 6, Almulaiki is also moderating a conversation about the exhibit at the museum.

• Black History Month is almost over. But at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, everyday is a good day to celebrate Black History. Manager of Community Engagement Yolanda Jack joined the show to talk about the significance of the museum for Detroit.

• WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper spoke with Anthony Roth Costanzo about the story behind “Rinaldo” and the power of opera in 2025. It follows a trend at Detroit Opera to find new ways to present old operas. The last two shows of “Rinaldo” are on Friday and Sunday. 

• In her second-to-last State of the State speech, Governor Gretchen Whitmer focused on funding the roads, spending on education and limiting cell phone use in schools. To discuss what Democrats and Republicans made of the speech, Russ McNamara of WDET’s All Things Considered joined the show.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Snow days are when school districts close schools for a day or two due to wintry weather. Today on The Metro, we’re taking a step into our nostalgic side as we reminisce about the good old snow days of our childhoods. 

They may be the greatest joy for a child – that magical morning moment where you look outside and see a bunch of snow, your parents turn on the local news and you see your school district’s name pop up on the “school closings” list. But nowadays, that nostalgic snow day moment feels a little different. 

Guests:

Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross: Superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools. 

Craig Bryson: Senior manager of communications for the Oakland County Roads Commission. 

Richard Rood: Professor Emeritus, Climate and Space Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan.

We also asked listeners:

“Do you think snow days are called too often?”

Melinda from Grosse Pointe said, “Safety first, I think, is really important. I have a distinct memory of being in high school and waking up. A snow day wasn’t called, but there was a good couple inches on the roads. So I had to get up, get dressed, and 16-year-old me was going to try my best to drive my little four-door sedan through the snow. And they called the snow day as I walked out the back door, and I just happened to check my phone one more time.”

Use the media player above to hear the conversation.

Tomorrow’s question: Is artificial intelligence going to save local news or be its downfall? 

Join the conversation by calling 313-577-1019 or leaving us an Open Mic message on the WDET app.

More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 17, 2025: 

• A new pilot study by the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute and Shoelace Learning shows promise for “gamified learning” as an effective reading intervention. Julia Dexter is the Founder of Shoelace Learning, an education platform that developed the games used in the pilot study. She spoke with Senior Producer David Leins about how gamified learning can improve reading skills in students.

• The Detroit Documenters have been appearing on The Metro every Friday, but you’ll now be able to hear conversations with Producer Jack Filbrandt and the Detroit Documenters every Monday. Today we bring you a conversation with Detroit Documenter Madiline Beck and Coordinator Noah Kincade on a potential cigar lounge coming to Detroit Metro Airport.  

• Jeff Milo is the host of MI Local on WDET. He is also an employee at the Ferndale Area District Library and an avid reader. He joins the show to talk about the many things libraries offer to residents year-round.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.