Dear Editor,
The front page of the newspaper circulated the last week of January represented what “One Morgan” looks like. Citizens from various walks of life met in prayer, grief, and support following a tragic loss of young lives.
Depicted was a representation of connectedness — an interaction by people of different ages, diverse backgrounds, and different life experiences.
Social connectedness is defined as feelings of belonging and closeness to others. It involves satisfaction with relationships, perceived support, and opportunities to disclose personal information. Connectedness to family and peers is a key determinant of adolescent mental health. Nevertheless, in today’s fast-paced world, where people work more and play less, even our youth spend less time socializing in person.
Research suggests that reliance on excessive cell phone usage for communication, coinciding with reduced in-person interactions, can be linked to deficient social skills and potential social ineptness. Missing is the opportunity to observe nonverbal cues — the facial expressions and body language that add depth to social interactions.
Excessive social media use can significantly decrease one's attention span due to its design, which encourages rapid content consumption. By becoming accustomed to switching focus quickly, one’s ability to concentrate on tasks requiring sustained attention is reduced.
In-person interaction is key. Psychologists have found social isolation to be the most identifiable and prominent external indicator among teens who commit mass shootings. So, with this in mind, at a societal level, intervention could be focused on how best to instill the building of social ties among our youth.
One viable response could be that school systems require participation in organizations, activities, and civic events that promote helping others as part of students’ compulsory education.
As we’ve recognized from that Jan. 26 vigil, a community-born sense of social support can lead to collective resilience.
Peter Wibell, Rutledge