Fidel Tinoco
10/29/2021
Karen Jewell
Eng-2
The Importance of Social Interaction
Social interaction is one of the most important things when it comes to staying healthy
as people age. In the article “How Social Connections Keep Seniors Healthy” by Jill Suttie,
Vonda is an older lady who’s living a peaceful life in a remote 170-acre lot. Even though she
lives an active lifestyle, she is starting to worry about isolation as she grows older. A lot of
seniors during this time are also struggling with the same idea of maintaining mental and
physical health.Sharing their own experiences and stories together. For example, for those
who live in a community or at home with elders, once a week they can come together and just
tell stories of their lives. For those who don’t live with elders, or long distance, they can call
or make plans to visit frequently.
If you do not believe me in how social activity can help people be healthy, we can
use my mom as an example. She is one of the most talkative and people-persons you will
meet, and one of the happiest as well. She loves to tell us stories of how she was growing up,
and all the friends she made and is still making along the way. Since she gets along well with
others and has no problem making friends, it will benefit her very much. Knowing a lot of
people will have you do more activities with friends and want to converse more later on in
the future.
In the article, the author explains the concept of social capital, the idea of how well
seniors put their trust into others, participate in daily activities, and connect to others in
society. As seniors age, their lives change drastically. They lose their loved ones, retire from
work, and have their friends move away. All of these changes can negatively affect their
physical and mental health. Therefore, all of their social activities enable them to stay
healthier.
In a survey of nearly 14,000 people conducted by Yvonne Michael, they found that
seniors are more physically active when they have a greater social capital. “Living in a place
with greater social capital—where there is more trust and more helpful neighbors—you will
feel more comfortable walking around to get to places you need to go, which helps you stay
mobile.” In another study performed for adult groups, Michael found that adults that have
better social capital were more likely to get health screening for serious diseases. “Adults
were 10-22 percent more likely to get screened at the recommended ages”, proving the
importance of social interaction for keeping adults healthy.
Social interaction plays a key role in seniors achieving a high level of mental health.
According to the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago, the rate of cognitive decline
was 70% less in people with frequent social contact than those with low social activity.
“When you use your brain and body the way it was intended—as it evolved—you age better,”
says James. “We just aren’t meant to be disengaged from one another.” This study
emphasizes that people who are socially active with others tend to have better mental health
as they age. This evidence further shows the importance of social connections and health.
Social capital has been proven time and time again to be beneficial for mental and
physical health. Through the article’s research, it was made very clear that social interactions
and connections are important not only for seniors, but adults to stay mentally and physically
healthy. For example, the more adults socially interact with their neighbors, the more likely
they will stay healthy in the long run. Through mankind’s evolution, people have always had
a connection with one another for survival through the process of sharing their past
experiences which is still valuable today. The concept of sharing stories has become even
more valuable in society because it allows the generational connection to stay healthy.
Works Cited
Suttie, Jill. "How Social Connections Keep Seniors Healthy." Greater Good
Magazine- Science Based Insights for a Meaningful Life, 14 Mar. 2014,
greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_social_connections_keep_seniors_healthy.
