Together & Alone

In this episode of The English 101 Experiment, Mason and Monica are joined by colleagues Andrew Gibbs and Ari Zeiger to discuss "The Monks in the Casino," Derek Thompson's essay on the growing problem of male loneliness in an increasingly digital world. From there, the conversation expands to consider loneliness and solitude more broadly, the experiences of asynchronous students, and the ways generative AI is reshaping not only how we learn, but how we connect with one another and ourselves.

Rather than treating AI as simply another educational technology, this episode asks what it means to foster human connection in a time when so much of our learning and communication happens alone. Together, we explore how educators can create spaces for conversation, curiosity, and community—and why helping students practice the social act of being human may be one of the most important forms of teaching in the age of AI.