But many are singing the praises of video chats.

Yale Professor Laurie Santos – whose popular lessons on wellness have made her an influential voice on mental health issues during the pandemic – says face-to-face communication can help with lockdown isolation.

“The research suggests that the act of hanging out with folks in real time - in other words, things like Zoom or FaceTime - can be a really powerful way to connect with people.

“You see their facial expressions, hear the emotion in their voice, you're really able to connect with them.”