If we want to understand the role technology plays in our well-being, we need to start with the role it plays in our relationships.Īnd it turns out that the kind of technology-mediated interactions that lead to positive outcomes are exactly those that are likely to build stronger relationships. Being socially isolated is a stronger predictor of mortality than is smoking multiple cigarettes a day. But connection is always theoretically possible, and that’s true whether we’re interacting online or face-to-face.Ĭlose relationships are the bread and butter of happiness-and even health. Many times, that opportunity isn’t taken we aren’t about to have an in-depth conversation with the barista who asks for our order. This means that every time two people talk to each other, an opportunity for relationship growth is unfolding. If I tell you my secrets, and you respond supportively, I’m much more likely to confide in you again-and you, in turn, are much more likely to confide in me. People build relationships by demonstrating their understanding of each other’s needs and perspectives, a cyclical process that brings them closer together. But what we still have to do is move beyond recognition of the problem to provide an answer: When, how, and why are some online interactions great, while others are dangerous? The interpersonal connection behaviors frameworkĪs a scientist of close relationships, I can’t help but see online interactions differently from thinkers in other fields. Many people have suggested that to understand the consequences of online socialization, we need to dig deeper into situational factors and circumstances. This isn’t a novel proposition after all, conflicting results started appearing within the first few studies into the internet’s social implications, back in the 1990s. Sometimes online socialization is good for you, sometimes it’s bad, and the devil is entirely in the details. Sometimes, superficially similar behaviors have fundamentally different consequences. Instead, the impact of social technology is more complicated. It’s tempting to say that some of these studies must be right and others wrong, but the body of evidence on both sides is a little too robust to be swept under the rug. Other studies suggest that time spent socializing online can cause loneliness, decrease well-being, and foster a crippling dependence on technology-mediated interaction to the point that users prefer it to face-to-face conversation. Some studies show that time spent socializing online can decrease loneliness, increase well-being, and help the socially anxious learn how to connect to others. From the GGSC to your bookshelf: 30 science-backed tools for well-being.Ī quick glance at the research on technology-mediated interaction reveals an ambivalent literature.
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