How will living in the age of delivery apps and less in-person time affect Kurdistan’s future?

Aland Gailan recalls a time when he met his friends nearly every day at one of the many cafes and restaurants in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan. But these days, like many students, the 20-year-old more often stays connected through messaging his friends on a social media platform. He often orders food through a delivery app out of convenience while struggling to balance his work and school life, with little time left over to socialize in person.

“My friends and I now maybe see each other on a Thursday or sometimes on a weekend,” said Gailan, a software engineering student at the University of Kurdistan Hewler. “We’ve tried to stay connected while at home during a study break or at work through social media platforms but it’s not the same.”

Although reliance on digital applications for everything from social connection to food delivery increased across Kurdistan (and worldwide) during the Covid-19 pandemic, years later, the socioeconomic impact of these habits is becoming apparent. Many Kurdish youth have grown comfortable with communicating through a screen rather than through a face-to-face conversation. Many also work from home as entrepreneurs and have pared back their social activities due to a higher cost of living. Combined, these factors are driving increased levels of social isolation and loneliness among Kurdish youth, with experts warning of the negative economic impact to come.

A recent statement issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that isolation and loneliness can be as harmful as other well-known health risks such as obesity and lack of physical activity. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General has said that the effect of loneliness on health is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

“The rise in cost of living forces us to spend more of our time working, which makes it harder to socialize, or for young people to depend on their families for financial support,” said Dr. Rawisht Rasheed, a psychiatrist and member of the American Psychiatric Association who is based in Erbil.

“Changes in cultural norms are another contributing factor to social isolation. In the past, people would gather at social events for longer,” said Dr. Rasheed. “For example, people would stay at funerals for three days or more, whereas today people typically stay for one day or make a phone call instead.”

The true cost of social isolation and loneliness

Just how damaging are these shifts in our behaviors and culture? According to the WHO, social isolation or loneliness could increase the risk of early death by up to 32%. The Center for Brain Health, meanwhile, has pegged the cost of loneliness to the U.S. economy at about $460 billion per year due to the negative health impacts of loneliness, which include insomnia, neuroinflammation, anxiety, and depression, all of which severely effect work productivity levels.

So, what can be done about it?

Even though a growing reliance on technology is contributing to the problem, Dr. Rasheed says that, if managed well, it can also play a part in the solution.

“Technology can be used to connect individuals by rewarding positive behaviors through special platforms and loyalty programs, for example,” he said, adding that there is a need for social awareness campaigns encouraging younger generations to connect with one another in person. This campaign could harness public figures, news reporters, and social media influencers, and serve as an important starting point in creating more awareness about social isolation and loneliness.

Using technology to bring people together

One recently launched application in Kurdistan is aiming to encourage a greater sense of community while supporting local business owners by offering consumers substantial discounts on goods and services that must be redeemed in person. The Deals.krd application was launched in December and gives users in Kurdistan large discounts on purchases at restaurants, cafes, gyms, and retailers. The creation of an application that is driven by special offers is a relatively new concept in Kurdistan, but the app is proving successful, with almost 150 local businesses and nearly 2,500 users having already signed up.

“We created Deals.krd to help people save money during challenging times, but more importantly, we want to encourage people to get out and experience Kurdistan again,” said Aryan Tawfiq, the head project manager for Deals.krd. “So far, over 150 businesses have partnered with us to join the app and people seem to enjoy getting a nice discount while getting out and socializing with each other and with business owners.”

Tawfiq adds that watching users support some of the local businesses that are featured on the app has been rewarding because these retailers and small businesses play a pivotal role in reviving traditional ways of socializing in Kurdistan.

While the positive and negative impact of technology has long been debated, Dr. Rasheed stresses that using social media to interact with others sometimes creates a false sense of connection, leading people to believe that a call or message can replace an in-person meeting in terms of its positive effects for our well-being.

“Scientific research shows that real interactions activate human chemistry. They are different from online ones. While social media can be useful for communication during specific times, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic, it can never fully replace face-to-face interaction,” he said, adding that the less a person communicates and engages with others, the more likely they are to experience cognitive decline and emotional difficulties.

“A healthy society relies on the well-being of its members, and vice versa,” said Dr. Rasheed. “When individuals experience social isolation, it can reduce their productivity and ability to contribute economically, which harms the broader economy.”

For Gailan, the longing for deeper social interactions remains, but he’s optimistic that this will improve as more of his friends begin to realize that nothing truly replaces the warmth and well-being they feel after in-person conversations.

“We are struggling to balance the hours that we need to work with our school responsibilities, but we are also realizing what’s missing and how this makes us feel,” he said. “A few of us are planning to make more of an effort to visit each other or meet at cafes and to share experiences together.”