The pandemic has exacerbated an already troubling trust deficit across political, economic, and other demographic divides. Research shared just before the pandemic’s onset uncovered that millennials are reluctant to trust government, business leaders, corporations, social and mass media, or even traditional social institutions. Meanwhile, a recent Canadian survey found that half of respondents believe business leaders are purposely trying to mislead them, and just under half believe the same about government. The decline in trust is understandable, a predictable consequence of very real failures in leadership. But something else is happening as well. The pandemic has forced most of us to move our lives onto screens. And as we get more comfortable hiding behind screens, rarely receiving and making eye contact, we are also handicapping our ability to trust. Trust is the bedrock of civilization, and living through screens is taking a significant psychological toll. Researchers have found that real …