What Is Social Resilience—and How Can You Foster It?
Imagine two ship crews marooned on opposite coasts of the same wild and inhospitable island. One group drops seafaring formalities and coalesces around collective survival. They tend to each other, work together, and split what they have. Each person’s subsistence is tied to the other’s. The other crew maintain their maritime hierarchy, compete for power […]
When We Move From the Therapy Room to Social Media
I’ve been creating online social media content, including posts and videos, for a long time. Because I share the same kind of information online that I do in the in-person seminars I present at conferences, I consider myself an educator and the content I share to be psychoeducation. That is, I share Mental health research, […]
Help Is Other People: The Power of Social Connectedness
If there’s one finding in the psychological literature that warrants your most urgent attention, I’d argue that this is it: Social relationships are our most powerful psychological currency; they are the key to our psychological health. There is no “I” in “Self.” The “I” is always in “Society.” Human beings are social before they are […]
Social Work Expects More From Us
I teach psychology, social work, and public administration. It’s an interesting combination. Recently, I commented on an intro social work student’s assignment saying, “Honestly, I think social work expects more from us.” What did I mean? Differences Between Disciplines I’m not saying one discipline is better than the other. I’m not saying one is harder […]
How Social Media Brings Out the Worst in Us
Is social media harming my well-being? This is a question I often ask myself, wondering if I should keep using it or take a deliberate break from it. As someone who follows the science of well-being, I’ve seen its potential for harm and the benefits of not using it. But I also enjoy it and […]
How Do Social Structures Shape Your Well-Being?
Systemic, structural change has always been a part of the perspective of the Greater Good Science Center. In a 2022 essay, editor Jeremy Adam Smith defines structural forces in the context of our work this way: Slavery was a structural force, setting a stubborn pattern of social, cultural, economic, and interpersonal relationships between Black and […]
Why Is Social Connection So Hard for Young Adults?
Social connectedness is vital to well-being, but members of Gen Z are hesitant about interacting with one another in today’s online and polarized world, says Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki. That disconnection comes at a cost: Young adults increasingly report lower levels of happiness than middle-aged and older adults. Here, Zaki talks about why that is […]
How to Teach Mindfulness in a More Social Way
Social disconnection, isolation, and stress are key contributors to the loneliness epidemic and Mental health crisis impacting young people on college campuses today. These issues affect people of all generations in the United States and across the globe. Feeling connected and accepted by others is a fundamental human need. In education, belonging and connection […]
The Rise of Cosmetic Surgery in the Social Media Era
Recent studies reveal that 70% of young adult women and 60% of young adult men are unhappy with their bodies. This troubling statistic coincides with the increasing normalization and availability of cosmetic surgery. In 2023 alone, Canadians underwent 35 million aesthetic procedures—a staggering 40% increase from four years prior. But what’s fueling this sharp rise? […]
Can Social Activity Be a Form of Medicine?
As a hospital-based physician, I almost always treat people with serious chronic health conditions. As a consequence of these conditions, they lose not just energy but also connection to much of what makes them feel alive. Such was the case with Mr. T., a 67-year-old man I recently cared for at Alta Bates Summit Medical […]