On April 8,听Palm Beach Atlantic听University (PBA)听Communication听Professor Dr. Stephanie Bennett听visited PBA鈥檚 Communitas Club to听share听her听expertise听on how students can cultivate long-lasting relationships in a world that听seems to be听in a hurry to chase the next best thing.听Bennett is the director of PBA鈥檚听Wordship program听which听seeks听to teach students the skills necessary to be able to verbally connect and uplift others.听听
The Communitas club听aims to create opportunities for students to engage in conversations outside the classroom and听is designed to help connect students through digital media alternatives. An example of this is their monthly physical newsletter,听which听includes devotions, news from听PBA’s Communication Department听and details of the in-person events they host.听听
Relationships in the Now听
At the event, Bennett shared her thoughts on how modern society and personal psychology may be working together to hurt people鈥檚 chances of starting and maintaining romantic, platonic, and familial relationships.
This topic has been on Bennett鈥檚 mind lately having just released her book, 鈥淩elationships on the Run: How to Grow Authentic Connections and Lasting Intimacy in a Hurried Culture.鈥� When Sunshine Tarpey, president of the Communitas Club and a PBA senior in communication, asked about the hardest part of writing her new book, Bennett answered that the project required her to be personally vulnerable. Vulnerability is something she identifies as essential for starting a connection.
鈥淚n order to find love, you have to risk your heart being broken,鈥� Bennett explained.
A听Culture of Convenience听听
鈥淚t can be hard to find the courage and the time to be vulnerable with others,鈥� Bennett said.听听Through her work as a couple鈥檚 counselor, she has seen this struggle many times. She describes how, increasingly, people around the world become subject to Continuous Partial Attention (CPA). CPA is the behavioral state of a person who is indefinitely multitasking. When an individual is demonstrating CPA, they are not fully present in their relationships; instead, they are going through the motions, so they will not have to sacrifice an ounce of productivity for the sake of connection.
鈥淲e are in a world where we try to fit our relationships into the cracks and crevices in our lives, only to find,听at the end of the day,听there听are no cracks or crevices,鈥� Bennett said.
Lasting Love听
Bennett responded to students’ questions about the use of AI or the new financial or spatial burdens being placed on relationships by explaining that connections founded solely on convenience are almost impossible to maintain. Long-lasting intimacy is not found in selfish prioritization. She believes there is an incredibly outdated stigma surrounding the idea that relationships take work. Bennett instead tries to reframe the work that goes into relationships as personal growth for both partners.
鈥淣o love outside of听agape, God鈥檚 perfect love, is without its flaws,鈥� Bennett said. 鈥淗owever, there are parts of听agape in all the other forms of love, such as eros, or romantic love.鈥�
She believes听that while听there’s听is no perfect recipe for achieving a level of agape in听our interpersonal relationships, simple steps like putting down a cell phone and mastering small talk can be the beginning of听intimacy听in romantic听partnerships and friendships.听Bennett听encouraged students to take the time in their busy schedules to foster听meaningful听connections and听come听into听community with each other.听听
For more information about PBA鈥檚 Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations department, visit听here.
