Social cohesion — the degree to (0) WHICH members of a society feel connected to one another — has become a growing concern in many developed nations. Research consistently shows that communities with strong social bonds tend to be healthier, safer, and more economically resilient than 1 without them. Volunteering, participation in local organisations, and even informal interactions with neighbours all contribute to 2 sociologists term 'social capital.' The decline of traditional community structures, brought 3 by factors such as urbanisation and the rise of digital communication, has led some commentators to argue that social cohesion is under serious threat. Not 4 agrees with this assessment, however. Some researchers point out that new forms of community are emerging online, and that social media, for all 5 faults, has made it easier for people with shared interests to connect across geographical boundaries. Be that 6 it may, there is growing evidence that virtual contact, 7 useful it may be, cannot fully replace face-to-face interaction when it comes to wellbeing. Addressing this challenge will require more than technology alone; it calls 8 a renewed commitment to building the kinds of communities in which people genuinely feel they belong.