Social Interaction Is Critical to Our Well Being!

I recently read a piece in the New York Times by Jane E. Brody pointing to the critcal natue of social interaction to our mental and physical health! Her article says.....

"Hurray for the HotBlack Coffee cafe in Toronto for declining to offer Wi-Fi to its customers. There are other such cafes, to be sure, including seven of the eight New York City locations of Café Grumpy. But it’s HotBlack’s reason for the electronic blackout that is cause for hosannas. As its president, Jimson Bienenstock, explained, his aim is to get customers to talk with one another instead of being buried in their portable devices. “It’s about creating a social vibe,” he told a New York Times reporter. “We’re a vehicle for human interaction, otherwise it’s just a commodity.” What a novel idea! Perhaps Mr. Bienenstock instinctively knows what medical science has been increasingly demonstrating for decades: Social interaction is a critically important contributor to good health and longevity."

she continues....."Personally, I don’t need research-based evidence to appreciate the value of making and maintaining social connections. I experience it daily during my morning walk with up to three women, then before and after my swim in the locker room of the YMCA where the use of electronic devices is not allowed. The locker room experience has been surprisingly rewarding. I’ve made many new friends with whom I can share both joys and sorrows. The women help me solve problems big and small, providing a sounding board, advice and counsel and often a hearty laugh that brightens my day."

In another similarly targeted article from "Psychology Today" we are instructed as to WHY WE NEED EACH OTHER....

Following are some exepts from the article,
"It is not the number of social relationships that determines whether people feel lonely. Rather, it is the emotional and cognitive reactions the individual experiences in relation to these connections that play a role in experiencing loneliness. For example, social interactions where an individual feels the following are associated with loneliness:
Distrust
Emotional conflict
Lack of social support

We also know that the following characteristics related to the individual are associated with loneliness: Shyness
Low self-esteem
Self-consciousness
Social withdrawal
Anger

Feeling lonely is normal; for some, it can be very frightening and destructive. At minimum, it hurts. Loneliness also can become a pervasive and chronic condition with serious mental and physical conditions, including:
Social isolation
Depression
Substance abuse
Poor sleep and appetite
Suicidal thoughts and behavior
Impaired immune and cardiovascular functioning

The treatment for loneliness is directed toward increasing the person’s social interactions as well as giving them the social skills and opportunities to do so.
In our current environment, this is especially effecting our Seniors who are in long-term care center where nobody from the outside (that includes FAMILY) is permitted access to them!