Social interaction is a key part in the daily life of an average American, it happens everywhere. Many people don’t realize how often we really interact with people throughout the day, at the coffee shop, at the grocery store, at work, with family and friends, teachers or professors and so much more. This means that all of the people in this world, except those who truly choose to live alone, interact with other individuals virtually every day and more often than not, several times in one day. Without social interaction, one most likely wouldn't be able to survive in the crazy and busy world we live in today. The term social interaction is the way people act and react with other people. It can have several meanings, from eye contact in a meeting to small talk at the gas station and of course, those long talks with your closest friend. Humans rely on social interaction to make sense out of everyday situations. It seems as people get older, they start to lose that everyday social interaction component. Many believe that social isolation can impact the quality of life of people from older generations. People assume that it can lead to a sense of loneliness and isolation from the world, which can lead to many mental and physical health issues. So, Is social interaction required for happiness in life?
One example of how social interaction is lost in the older generation is portrayed through a Disney animated short film, called Geri’s Game. In a quiet and empty park in the middle of fall, an elderly man named Geri decides to play a game of chess against his biggest opponent, himself. Geri moves from one side of the board to the other and either puts on his glasses or takes them off to show his personality change. It is clear throughout the film that the target audience is a very wide range of people because although it is a Disney animated short film and it was made to be shown to kids, it features an old man who is lonely and plays chess in the park with himself which can be relatable for the older population. The two sides of Geri starts to become more distinct when the white chess piece Geri, also known as light Geri, is more thoughtful and is portrayed to be timid, weak and nervous, while the black piece Geri, also known as dark Geri, is more aggressive and ruthless in his decisions. Although Geri is completely alone in the park, and in the beginning of the film, he was meant to be viewed as a sad and lonely old man, Geri makes the absolute most of what he has and enjoys playing a game of chess by himself.
In an article from Forbes magazine, they analyzed multiple studies on how social isolation can affect mental and physical health. In a study from the University of California, San Francisco, they examined how social interaction can impact the quality of life in the elderly. With over 1,000 participants, all over the age of 60, more than 43 percent of the participants reported that they were sometimes lonely. The study lasted 6 years and every two each participant was contacted by a doctor who specializes in the field of aging related dimensions of change over a person's lifespan, also known as a Gerontologist. (add citation). They found that almost half of the people who identified with “sometimes lonely” were more likely to die within the six year period that the study took place than those who reported that they were satisfied with their sense of connection in their relationships. On top of that, 59 percent of the original 43 percent, were at more of a risk of physical decline, measured by performing daily tasks such as bathing, dressing and eating properly (add citation). In this case, it is important that the older generation reduces social isolation as it is critical to improve their quality of life. There are several other studied which has shown the same results, for example, a study from the University of Chicago found a connection between chronic loneliness and specific health risk disease such as, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, suppressed immune system and increased levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Another study out of Cornell University in early 2012 concluded that loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease which mimics the aging process. (add citation)
Lack of social interaction can also do damage to people’s mental health. In a 2010 report in The Journal of Health and Social Behavior, sociology majors from the University of Texas at Austin, found that people who had little to no social ties with other people had a higher risk of developing mental health diseases. Emma Seppala, from the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and author of the 2016 book “The Happiness Track,” found that “People who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, studies show they also have higher self-esteem, greater empathy for others, are more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them” (add citation). Both of those studies shows how social interaction and connections is critical for being healthy and happy in life. The emotional support that people receive from from social connections and social interactions helps reduce the harmful effects of stress and can further a sense of meaning and purpose in life.The purpose is to propose the idea to people that social interaction is essential in living a healthy and enjoyable life.
From the longest study of happiness, Robert Waldinger, Harvard Medical School professor and researcher, as well as the director of the 75 year long research project explains what keeps us happy and healthy through this crazy thing called life and where it comes from. He using the data from the 75 year long study that was first started by Stanford professors and grad students, to argue that the key to happiness is social connections and relationships. Over the 75 years, starting in 1938, they tracked the lives of two groups of men. The first group started in the study when they were sophomores at Harvard College. They all finished college during World War II, and then most went off to serve in the war. And the second group that we've followed was a group of boys from Boston's poorest neighborhoods, boys who came from some of the most troubled families with the most disadvantages (add citation). Throughout the whole study, they discovered three major life lessons. The first being “social connections can make us happy, and loneliness can kill”. People who are more isolated than they would like to be find that they are less happy, their health declines earlier in midlife, their brain functioning declines sooner and they live shorter lives than people who reported are not lonely. The second lesson is “quality over quantity”. Many people who reported to be lonely, were also the people who had a lot of friends, and had a lot of social interaction but still couldn't find happiness because of the quality of those relationships. The third lesson is “good relationships don't just protect our bodies, they protect our brains”.