It's not a loneliness epidemic—it's an intimacy crisis | Justin Garcia | TEDxKC

Evolutionary biologist Justin Garcia argues that the modern "loneliness crisis" is better understood as a crisis of intimacy. He contends that people are not lacking connection so much as depth, and that threat-wired nervous systems can lead us to simulate closeness rather than take the risks real intimacy requires. Drawing on research from the Kinsey Institute, the talk explores what it takes to build deeper relationships again. The talk was given at TEDxKC, an independently organized TEDx event. Speaker Justin Garcia is Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute and author of The Intimate Animal.

• Reframes loneliness as a lack of depth rather than a lack of connection
• Explains how threat-wired nervous systems can favor simulated closeness
• Draws on research from the Kinsey Institute
• Discusses what it takes to build deeper intimacy

Evolutionary biologist Justin Garcia argues that we've misdiagnosed the modern "loneliness crisis." It's not a lack of connection — it's a lack of depth. Drawing on research from the Kinsey Institute, he explains why our threat-wired nervous systems are simulating closeness instead of risking real intimacy, and explores what it takes to go deep again. Dr. Justin Garcia is an evolutionary biologist and international authority on the science of sex and relationships. Since 2019, he has served as the Executive Director of the world-renowned Kinsey Institute, where he is also a Senior Scientist. He holds an appointment as the Ruth N. Halls Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University and is a Founding Co-Director of Human Sexuality and Health at the IU School of Medicine. Dr. Garcia holds a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology and M.S. in biomedical anthropology from Binghamton University and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School. An award-winning researcher and educator, Dr. Garcia has consulted with a variety of industry partners, and he is currently the Chief Scientific Advisor to Match, where he provides expertise for the annual Singles in America study. His research has been featured widely in the media and focuses on people’s romantic and sexual lives throughout the life course, especially on integrative biopsychosocial models of variation in courtship, intimacy, and sexual behavior. He has co-authored over 100 academic articles and book chapters, and is co-author of Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior. His latest book, The Intimate Animal, explores the science behind why we live and die for love. https://kinseyinstitute.org/research/intimate-animal.html This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx