Socialising has unexpected benefits

Fàbia Morales Vives
Researcher at the Department of Psychology
fabia.morales(ELIMINAR)@urv.cat

Whether intuitively or not, we all know that it is not a good idea to be socially isolated and that it is important to have a good social network and to interact with other people. But what may not be so intuitive is the extent to which our social network affects us in different areas of life. It was for this reason that, at the start of the pandemic, there were warnings about the negative effects it would have on children and adolescents, as numerous studies from previous decades had shown that social isolation and loneliness have a negative impact on the mental health of youngsters.

However, social networks are also very important at other ages, especially when they provide adequate support. In fact, numerous studies show that having or perceiving that one has social support is related to higher self-esteem and, therefore, a more positive view of oneself. That is to say, this support makes it easier for the person to perceive themselves as valuable and important. It is also related to higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction, and lower levels of depressive symptomatology. It seems that people who have a good social network, and who feel that they are socially supported by those close to them, can rely on receiving help if they need it, which makes them feel better. Therefore, a quality social network that provides social support is linked to psychological well-being and mental health.

But the impact of social networks goes further; people who feel that they receive social support tend to manage better the negative impacts arising from unpleasant or stressful experiences. It also seems that young people who have social support from friends, family, etc., demonstrate greater ability to cope with changes and challenges in their work and personal lives. Similarly, receiving social support from supervisors and colleagues is associated with greater happiness and job satisfaction, and even better performance levels. In contrast, loneliness is associated with poorer ageing processes and health problems. In fact, it seems that loneliness is a significant predictor of mortality in men and women, comparable to other risk factors such as smoking or high blood pressure.

To summarise, cultivating social relationships by dedicating enough time to building a good social network with the special people in our surroundings will ultimately have an impact on many areas of our lives, including life expectancy, health, and our overall sense of happiness and well-being.