Mom may have told you that when it comes to friendship, quality is better than quantity, but a new study shows that in your 20s, that’s not necessarily true.
The 30-year longitudinal study conducted right here at the University of Rochester shows that the quantity of social interactions a person has at age 20 can lead to a decreased risk for early mortality and an overall better quality of life.
Lead author Cheryl Carmichael conducted the research while working on her PhD in psychology at the U of R. Back in the 1970s, the Rochester Interaction Record (RIR) study observed the social lives of college students at age 20 and again ten years later. At both ages, subjects recorded the details of their daily social interactions in diaries—rating the quality of the experiences and how much time they spent socializing.
Now thirty years later, Carmichael has gotten in touch with these participants to see where they are in their 50s. The individuals filled out an online survey about the quality of their friendships and emotional well-being, responding to questions about loneliness, depression, and their sense purpose in life.
“Considering everything else that goes on in life over those 30 years — marriage, raising a family and building a career — it is extraordinary that there appears to be a relationship between the kinds of interactions college students and young adults have and their emotional health later in life,” said Carmichael in a press release.
Why is being social especially beneficial in your 20s? “It’s often around this age that we meet people from diverse backgrounds, with opinions and values that are different from our own, and we learn how to best manage those differences,” said Carmichael. Interacting with many types of people helps us learn more about who we are and develop skills that will be useful later in life.
So if you’re a social butterfly, you’re in luck! Not only does meeting people help you develop important social skills, but it can improve your overall quality of life and may even help you live longer. According to Carmichael, “Having few social connections is equivalent to tobacco use, and it’s higher than for those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, or who suffer from obesity.”
So the next time you feel guilty about choosing socializing over studying, just remember you’re most likely setting yourself up for a longer, healthier, happier life.