The term social health refers to our ability to form and maintain meaningful relationships with others and how we engage with and adapt to the world around us. This is a very important part of growing up as it directly influences our developing sense of personal identity and trying to figure out who we are, what we like, and what we value in the world. While our family plays a large part in shaping these areas of ourselves when we are children, when we enter the teenage years, also known as adolescence, it is very common to connect less with your family and rely more on your social circle to try and make sense of yourself and the world around you.
As healthy relationships are the foundation of our social health, it is important to consider some characteristics of a healthy relationship, which could include:
- trust
- honesty
- compassion (having sympathy and/or a desire to help someone struggling)
- empathy (ability to understand or take the perspective of what someone is going through)
- communication
- respect
- openness to different ideas/perspectives
- and more
Social health also refers to our ability to function within, and adapt to the world around us. This could mean how well we are able to go out into our communities and contribute to our society, as well as how well we can adjust to changes or challenges presented by the world around us.
For example, if a new law or policy came into effect and it had a negative influence on yourself and others, standing up and trying and make a positive change would be an example of positive social health, whereas giving up or not trying to make a positive change would be the opposite. The key is trying to find a way to positively function within the world around you and being able to adapt, and not give up (also known as resilience), when ‘things‘ get tough.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
Teens Share Their Thoughts on Healthy Relationships (2:03)
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships (2:16)
Communication Styles in Relationships (1:56)
CONSENT
Tea as a Way to Think About Consent (2:49)
Here is an informative website outlining what consent is and the legal definitions of it: ConsentEd