That barista you talk with for a few moments every day may actually be crucial to your mental health.
The so-called weak ties in your social network — such as the barista or the person you chat with on the next treadmill at the gym — provide novelty and stimulation and help reduce loneliness, according to Karen Fingerman, professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.
“The weak ties matter,” said Fingerman, who is also the director of the Texas Longevity Center at UT Austin. “They carried the weight on whether you were lonely.”
The strong ties of family and close friends are vital, of course. But there’s also power in casual interactions, according to Fingerman, who spoke at a SciLine event focused on loneliness in older adults.
Having weak ties was also associated with physical activity, because people generally need to leave the house in order to run into a casual acquaintance, Fingerman said.
The mix of close ties and weak ties is crucial to support mental health and thwart loneliness, she said.
Read: ‘There’s a lot of lonely people out there.’ Is loneliness killing you?
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Aging Studies underscored the importance of weak ties.
“Our qualitative interview data shows that strong ties are susceptible to relationship loss, geographic distances, or relationship conflict. A greater number of weak ties, on the other hand, increases the likelihood of support and engagement when needed, reciprocity of relationships, and access to new social groups and networks,” the study said.
Read: Loneliness is ‘one of the most serious, misunderstood problems facing America today’
The interest in social connections comes as loneliness has been in the spotlight as a public health crisis.
The U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory in May that said loneliness was associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety and premature death.
Read: Loneliness is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, says the surgeon general
Meanwhile, suicide rates in the U.S. rose to their highest level ever in 2022, with the oldest adults having the highest rate of suicide among any age group, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The suicide rate among men was about four times higher than the rate among women. Men make up about half of the population but account for nearly 80% of suicides, according to the CDC.
Fingerman also noted that the way people interact with others also affects their sense of loneliness.
An in-person connection carried the most weight and mattered most to people, while a phone call failed to reduce loneliness, she said. Video chats, texts and social media, meanwhile, helped maintain connections to family and friends.
Even small gestures may help ward off loneliness, Fingerman said.
Holiday cards — even if they come from a friend who checks in just once a year — can help strengthen a person’s sense of belonging and connection, she said.
So give cookies to the cashier who helps you every week, and say “Happy Holidays” to your parcel delivery person.
“Very small gestures may make a difference for people,” Fingerman said.
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