It's no secret that human beings are social creatures and we need to have a social connection with each other in order to thrive. And a new study thinks likewise too. As per the study, people who have a healthy social life and connections are a lot happier in their lives irrespective of how big that social circle is.
“Stereotypes of aging tend to paint older adults in many cultures as sad and lonely. But the research shows that older adults’ smaller networks didn’t undermine social satisfaction and well-being. In fact, older adults tend to report better well-being than younger adults,” said lead author Wandi Bruine de Bruin.
The researchers collected data from two surveys that were put together through different approaches like phone calls and address-based sampling. The participants of the study were asked to note how many people (friends, family, coworkers, service providers) they were in touch with (regular contact) for a period of six months. Contact included phone calls, face to face meetings and even internet exchanges. They were also asked to rate their well-being over this time.
It was found that older adults had smaller social circles as compared to young adults, however, the number of close friends was unrelated to age. It was also found that younger adults had a wider social circle due to being more accessible on online platforms and increasing impersonal social networks. Plus, well being was only associated with the relationship with close friends. So, having such a huge social circle didn't really make much of a difference.
“Loneliness has less to do with the number of friends you have, and more to do with how you feel about your friends,” she said. “It’s often the younger adults who admit to having negative perceptions of their friends. Loneliness occurs in people of all ages. If you feel lonely, it may be more helpful to make a positive connection with a friend than to try and seek out new people to meet,” Bruine de Bruin added.
