Connecting – with people and trees

So ‘healthy social connections’ with relatives, friends,workmates or neighbours can improve our survival rates by 50% according to a study from Brigham Young University. (Let’s leave aside the fact that 50% seems pretty high and that I’m not sure I necessarily want to improve my survival rate by that much.)

This is not the first time we’ve heard about the positive impact of human interaction on health and it does all make sense. Life seems a little better when you’ve got people to talk to and people who listen to you. Surely this bodes well for the long-term impact of the Big Society – if it all works out and our positive interactions increase, then we’re all happier and living longer. (Let’s deal with the impact on the health budget later.)

Then there’s the whole issue of how the internet shapes our interactions. It’s already connected us and now we’re beginning to understand how these  new interactions are evolving. We’ve heard about the emptiness of Facebook friendships and the loneliness created by social media but while online relationships may be no substitute for actual human contact, they can facilitate it, ultimately strengthening and expanding our human interaction.

Interestingly this study doesn’t take into account the quality of the relationship – grouping together the healthy and unhealthy interactions – so, in theory, the impact of the healthy relationships could be even greater. I’m pretty sure I’ve felt my life ebbing away during some ‘unhealthy interactions’.

To be slightly contradictory and go off on a tangent, here’s a book  – The Man Who Planted Trees – that’s light on social interaction but just beautifully simple and inspirational and there’s even video content for those of you who prefer your action online.