“Men were more likely than women to engage in sexual infidelity, and to do so more than once. Women were more likely to have emotional affairs, and with someone their primary partner knows …. The profound impact infidelity can have on both individuals and relationships, including heightened emotional turmoil and potential for subsequent relationship trust issues …. Women are more likely than men to engage in emotional affairs, cybersex, and online sources of infidelity. Additionally, women were more likely than men to become involved in infidelity when there were problems in the relationship or if they felt bored with their sex life, and to consider leaving their spouse because of their infidelity. They were also more likely to engage in infidelity with someone their spouse knew …. Emotional affairs can lead to the diversion of time, energy, and other resources from their primary partner, which may have historically been more problematic for women than men …. . Thus, women are often found to be more distressed at imagining their partner involved in an emotional relationship than a purely sexual one ….  In contrast, men are argued to be more concerned with sexual as opposed to emotional infidelity, given that they may end up investing in children who they do not know are unrelated to them biologically.” “The Truth About Infidelity – Women & Emotional Affairs.” Psychology (Jan. 2024).

“Learning that a spouse has been unfaithful is shattering. A betrayed spouse’s mind fills with questions: “How could you do this to me?” “Who was this person?” “How long has it been going on?” “What was the sex like?” “Do you love them?” “How will I ever be able to trust you again?” In the early aftermath, many couples have marathon talk sessions—and the unfaithful spouse is often willing to help the betrayed spouse regain equilibrium. But when the betrayed’ s “need to know” urge lingers, unfaithful spouses can begin to question the value of continuing to talk about it; after all, it doesn’t feel very good …. At this juncture many couples seek professional help. They’re looking for direction and a mediator—someone to tell them who’s right and who’s wrong …. Answers to questions about the infidelity can be painful for the betrayed spouse to hear; they may feel like lashing out at their partner. While this is understandable ….  Infidelity doesn’t always have to be a marriage-ender. In fact, after the hard work of mending, many couples find that they’re more in love than before, but they needed their therapist to offer concrete suggestions and firm coaching every step of the way.” “Dissolving Relationships.” Psychology (June 2026).

Universities are now forming groups to counter digital loneliness to increase social connectivity. “Socializing without Cell Phones.” Washington Post (May 8^th, 2026).

“Many college leaders are concerned about the amount of time students spend on screens and social media, worried that it is increasing isolation, loneliness and anxiety, shattering attention spans, and preventing social connections …. There is some hope and self- awareness. Young people have become more wary of social media, according to Pew Research Center findings. Nearly half of teens in a survey last year said social media sites have a mostly negative effect on people their age — up from just under a third in 2022 …. Actually connecting with people … or allowing yourself to sit with your own thoughts, doing things that were normal, is an act of defiance now,” “Socializing without Cell Phones.” Washington Post (May 8^th, 2026).

     A good article appeared recently discussing overthinking and loneliness.  The bottom line — you need to break out of isolation — that is the best remedy. You do this by making connections. For example, just be around other people and make the effort. It will pay off. Social media often makes this worse.

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“Three Key points – 1. Overthinking gets louder in isolation; 2. Connections with others—even passive ones—quiet our mental loops; 3. The very nature of being around others pulls you back into action, which breaks the shackles of overthinking …. When you are by yourself, your brain has no external reference point. Being alone offers you no reality check, no need to emotionally calibrate yourself, and no interruptions from your looping thoughts …. I frequently walk through thriving shopping malls. Those masses of people I see, through social buffering, help me break free from challenging ruminations …. Being Alone Makes Problems Feel Bigger and Being Around Others Shrinks Their Size …. This is because being around others widens our perspective.” “Overthinking and Loneliness.” Psychology Today (April 21, 2026)

“As coping strategies go, cut-offs leave a lot to be desired. Quite literally. They don’t solve problems. There’s no growth. And, leaving open wounds, they are always painful to at least one party and usually to all.

Yet, they are increasingly accepted by a younger generation as a way of handling what seems to be a broadening array of dissatisfactions. Well beyond abuse and direct harm, young adults cite unmet emotional needs, violated boundaries, lack of emotional support, and more.

What if the emotional distress, sense of disconnection, lack of support, feelings of emptiness, and difficulties forming a coherent sense of self that young people are experiencing are all very real—but often have their true origins outside the home?

“There’s an expectation of being exceptional if you just do the right thing. And young people feel the burden of explaining why that isn’t happening. College students (say) that being normal is a failure: ‘I should be extraordinary.’ That feeling of Why aren’t I more than I am? contributes to a sense of injury and of thinking, 

The thinning out of adult social life as putting another burden on young people that they should not have to assume. Whatever the forces of alienation, estrangement is rarely a remedy.” 

“How to Heal a Family Split.” Psychology Today (November 2025).

“It’s a moral panic but perhaps one that’s wholly justified. In recent weeks, more data has emerged on how young people are struggling to find love and don’t know where to find it in the first place. Over two-thirds of young adults have either not dated at all or only gone on a few dates in the last year. One of the main reasons? They lack confidence and don’t know how to approach the opposite sex …., America is in a “dating recession” .… If trends continue, one-third of young adults will not get married and one-fourth won’t have kids …. We want what the people around us want. If the people around you are oriented toward marriage, then you absorb that orientation almost without thinking. You date because dating is what people do. You commit because commitment is what’s expected …. The pool of eligible partners is bigger in college and your early 20s. After that, it shrinks — and the culture of dating only gets harder to navigate. Drifting through your 20s without a thought for your family future …. is its own kind of loss.” Difficult Dating Today, Why? Washington Post (March 15th, 2026).

      A recent article provides several suggestions for making new connections. In this era of social loneliness, which has emerged as a serious public health crisis, this is particularly timely — for both individuals and couples. Here is a quick summary.

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     Six insights on connection:

1. People are more interested in engaging with you than you might imagine.

2. Connection is built on reciprocity.

3. Focus on the frequency rather than the intensity of positive interactions.

4. Imagine connection as the physical distance between you and others.

5. Your personality matters … more for your expectations than your actual experience.

6. Your beliefs can become your barriers.

     When asked to imagine talking to a stranger on a train, people predict they’ll enjoy it more than keeping to themselves. Yet the barrier that prevents them from trying is the belief that others don’t want to engage. We misjudge others. We assume there are more people who will reject us than there actually are. Moreover, while people expect social rejection to sting more than connecting will please them, it’s often more their expectation not the actual experience …..There’s no magic set of opening lines for starting the most connection-fostering conversations. The secret lies in a mindset: taking a genuine interest in others and paying attention.”

“How of Human Connection.” Psychology Today (Feb. 2026).

     An interesting piece appeared yesterday in the Wall Street Journal discussing the “Hot Mom.” A recent trend on social media. There has been a backlash against this especially from busy moms, working moms and those who are simply not interested in this social fad. So this sounds like most moms.

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“Long gone are the days of the stereotypically harried mom, the woman racing out the door with her children in tow, her shirt stained with tomato sauce, her clothes woefully out of style. That was the vision of motherhood we grew up with in the ’80s and ’90s—put the word “mom” in front of anything (clothing, haircut, dancing, underwear), and it was immediately rendered sexless, embarrassing and lame ………… Listen, I’m happy to do all the mom things that I signed up for, like feeding my children and attending their school functions and standing outside in the bitter cold at their travel soccer games. But why must I be held to the unattainable standards of looking like a supermodel while I do it? I’m 44 years old, for crying out loud ….“  “The Hot Mom.” Wall Street Journal (January 17, 2026),