No, Sen. Murphy, government cannot fix loneliness

On Tuesday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) announced on Twitter that he is introducing “a groundbreaking bill — the National Strategy for Social Connection Act.” Its goal is to address the “epidemic” of loneliness and social isolation in the United States right now that threatens “individual health and longevity” and decreases “community resilience, safety, and economic prosperity.”

But while this is certainly a problem that must be addressed — and I applaud Sen. Murphy for bringing the subject into the national conversation — it is not one government can solve.