You may not recognize poet John Donne by name, but you’ve probably heard his work quoted at least once. The line he is most known for reads “No man is an island.” Today, an observation like that — especially on social media — could be subject to a long stream of snarky, harsh responses. But luckily, he wrote this in 1624, before internet trolls existed, and his words still echo in our thoughts almost 400 years later.
It’s always been true that no man (or woman) is an island, but it’s even more true today. From a technological standpoint, obtaining and keeping island status is pretty difficult, unless you’ve moved into the wild and off the grid. We live in a connected world, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. While you may not know your neighbor’s name, it’s possible you do know Sergei in Belarus and Nigel in London, thanks to Fortnight and other internet gaming/group activities.