Why Sending Reels Is More Meaningful Than You Think

Humans are constantly reinventing ways to maintain intimacy with the people we care about most. Today, one of our most ubiquitous connection rituals is reel sharing—that is, sending short social media videos to each other. At a time when much of the conversation about technology centers on how it is eroding human connection, reel sharing and the unspoken social norms that surround it suggest another possibility: a tool to maintain social bonds. This has been my experience. I met my best friend of more than 25 years, Kyra, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer. Our friendship formed before social