Positive And Negative Life Relationship

The opportunity to share both positive and negative life experience and to support others as well is beneficial to the well-being of women (and men) (Gustafson, 2010). In a world which seems more connected than ever before it appears that people are lonelier which is confusing in itself, however I would like to propose a simple but possible theory. Is it possible that there is more to fulfilling relationships than just keeping in contact? Is it possible we need to hear each others voices and see each others facial expressions to truly connect? Are we missing out by digitalizing our “friends” and relatives? Supportive relationships with the people we truly connect with foster our mental well-being. The “old ways” of connecting such as calling …show more content…
Facebook creeping rather than talking to people, asking questions and engaging in others lives has obvious roadblocks in maintaining “real” friendships and relationships because of its one sided position (when people refer to “facebook” friends they are not talking about friendships but rather a collection of people). To put it plainly an emojji can never compare to a hug or heart to heart conversation (no matter how many hundreds of them there are to choose from), although in today’s society we act as if it is an efficient replacement. It is not uncommon to see an entire family on their devices at a dinner out, or people instagramming or snapchatting a concert rather than watching it while engaging with the company of other people actually attending the concert. These are clear examples of the social disconnection taking place in today’s world, even when people are in our presence we feel lonely because everyone is so frequently on a device. In my opinion we need to evaluate and change our technologically dependant social …show more content…
Diana Gustafson (2010) explains “social participation and an established network of emotional support contribute to mental, physical, spiritual, and social well-being. Caring and respectful relationships with family, friends, and communities are important sources of satisfaction and support for problem solving and dealing with adversity” (Gustafson, 2010). Recent research conducted by the University of Michigan shows a correlation between the quality of relationships and risk of depression “the researchers found that certain positive and negative aspects of relationships also predicted depression. Social strain and a lack of support especially in spousal relationships and to some extent with family members were both risk factors for developing depression later” (University of Michigan Heath System, 2013). By encouraging, maintaining, and actively engageing in positive and supportive friendships and support networks it may be possible to positively impact the depression women frequently experience in our