news&views Autumn 2018 | Page 20

Face to Face Laurie Semler | Communications Committee Human beings are hard-wired to seek out personal connections with others. Many recent studies highlight the importance of regular social interaction for optimal mental and physical well-being. During our working years this need for social contact can be fulfi lled, at least partially, in the daily interactions necessary to carry out our jobs. This situation can be particularly true for those who work in the helping professions, such as teaching and health care, where interaction with many people occurs on a daily basis. As we move into the next stages of our lives, many of these opportunities for socialization that were once a natural part of our jobs may be lost. Therefore, maintaining the social connectedness we require for optimal health becomes more challenging. With the Internet and social media providing us with so many ways to stay in touch, feelings of loneliness and social isolation in theory should be easily remedied. One might think that simply providing a lonely person with a tablet or computer and lessons on how to access social media would assist that person to be lonely no longer. Indeed, in the late 1990s, as email became widely adopted, several studies suggested that older adults could benefi t from using email to stay connected to friends and family. The use of social media allows a person to maintain a large social network; so, in theory, such usage should result in reduced feelings of isolation. 20 | arta.net However, several recent studies refute this point of view. These studies indicate that social media may actually enhance feelings of isolation. Contact does not mean connection! Having a large social network facilitated by such tools as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram does not result in stronger bonds between close friends. So, if social media and digital technologies have little to no impact on enhancing social connectedness, what does? Researchers have concluded that good, old-fashioned, face-to- face interaction is still the best way to mitigate feelings of isolation. More frequent face-to-face interaction is associated with a lower probability of depression, while limited face-to-face opportunities almost double the risk. There are numerous benefi ts associated with face-to-face interactions that are lacking in other forms of communication. Some experts estimate that as much as eighty to ninety per cent of communication is actually nonverbal. When communicating face-to-face, a person receives important cues from the other’s body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. None of these cues are available with social media. Face-to-face communication promotes deeper relationships, whereas social media use encourages superfi cial connections. It is much more eff ective to off er meaningful encouragement and support in person. Face-to- face communication also assists with enhancing trust and limits the chance of misunderstandings. It is interesting to note that many businesses emphasize the importance of face-to-face communication for these very reasons. In a world where many of us are almost constantly connected to others through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, texting, email, and many more, it is virtually impossible to avoid social