By Saundra Latham, Editor at LinkedIn News — What’s a lonely person to do in modern times? Google how to find friends, of course. Loneliness-related searches including “where to meet people” spiked in the past week, according to the search giant. The trend underscores a Surgeon General report describing an “epidemic of loneliness” affecting half of U.S. adults. The key to connection may be leaving screens behind, one expert tells Bloomberg. “The human exchange of physical hugs, empathetic eye contact, understanding responses remind us that we need love to feel significant and secure in cultivating trusted relationships,” says therapist Melanie Ross Mills. Cities can also cultivate a culture of togetherness by investing in social infrastructure like parks and libraries where people can gather, researchers say.