By Josie Woosnam
In a world where we are surrounded by many different technologies, emotional as well as physical connections have become less commonly expressed. People today, more than ever, have found they experience loneliness, general anxiety, and even depression because of the social cut-off. Most people would say that physical time with loved ones helps boost their mood and ease their stress, but why is that? How is physically being in the presence of another human being any different from seeing them through a screen? Well, the main difference is simply body language. If you cannot see another person's entire body, reading them can be more challenging. A lot of how we respond to others while speaking lies in the movements of our bodies. These can be positive or negative gestures, but either way, our brains subconsciously send signals to the rest of us, telling us how to react next. And by lacking that sight, people tend to become more nervous because it's not nearly as easy to see or guess what someone is thinking. Secondly, when deprived of connection on an emotional level, people are much more likely to have issues expressing their feelings, which can lead to many different spirals that can eventually lead to a toxic mental state.
While most people would argue that introverts don't need that same level of human connection as extroverts, that is not necessarily true. A director of the Naturalistic Observation of Social Interaction Laboratory in the UArizona Department says, "While it's true that introverts may be more accustomed to – and comfortable with – spending time alone, both introverts and extroverts need human interaction for their health and well-being." Of course, every human experiences social interaction differently, but loneliness tends to manifest in common feelings of being left out, socially isolated, as well as unheard. If people who struggle with these feelings daily or on an extreme level go unchecked, it can affect their overall emotional well-being and physical health. Personally, I have found, being someone who falls more into the introverted category rather than extroverted, I can say that while I tend to benefit from being alone more often than not, I also need physical interactions daily. And living through the start of Covid, I found that this became more and more evident. This is coming from the girl who has always been okay with being alone for as long as I can remember; the girl who spends hours alone in her room not giving human interaction a second thought needed people to be around. PsychCentral.com says, "In 2019, before the pandemic, 3 in 5 Americans reported being lonely. After the pandemic, this number increased, particularly among young people."
And while not every human interaction is pleasant, we have been created to be in the presence of other people experiencing life side by side. When we express emotions of happiness or sadness in the forms of laughing, crying, or even venting, our brains release endorphins and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters responsible for the changes in our moods. So, it's essential to make sure that you are intentional with the time you spend with people and maintaining and or building relationships along the way. Remember that no matter what stage of life you're walking through right now, it's never too late to engage in human connection. Whether physical or emotional, connecting with others often can have long-lasting benefits. Even if you suffer from severe social anxiety, it's still crucial that you fill your days with people. PsychCentral.com says, "Knowing you aren't alone and others also have trouble cultivating relationships can improve your outlook on forming connections in the future." What's important is knowing that everyone has a unique way of connecting with others. While yours may look different from the kid across from you, you must focus on finding a beneficial way to communicate on a level that is good for your mental health.
Sources
Facts about touch: How human contact affects your health and relationships. Dignity Health | Facts About Touch. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.dignityhealth.org/articles/facts-about-touch-how-human-contact-affects-your-health-and-relationships
Stiles, K. (2021, November 15). Human connection: Why it's important. Psych Central. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-importance-of-connection#next-steps