The digital age has made it possible for us to connect with people from all over the world. We can hear real voices about ideas and lifestyles outside of our own region and country. With the proliferation of the Internet, communities that transcend geographic boundaries are rapidly expanding. These communities provide a place where people from all walks of life can connect with others who share common interests and values. In the past, face-to-face and phone conversations were the norm, but with the advent of social networking sites and online platforms, the focus is now on messages, comments, likes, and other digital forms of connection. This allows users to communicate with others anytime, anywhere. Even though the methods of communication have greatly expanded and it has become easier to make “friends,” the well-being of today’s young people is trending downward, and their social skills are declining. Research has shown that this social skills decline has great potential to cause serious cognitive impairment later on.
Social skills are abilities used to communicate and interact with others. From the beginning of our lives, our connections shape and influence us, helping us mature as social creatures. It refers to the regulation of behavior and emotions, the ability to connect with and care for others, self-confidence, and the ability to understand how one’s actions and words affect others. And it has long been known that human connections are an important element of happiness. However, recent surveys show that today’s young people are spending less time together in person with friends, going to movies or sports, playing in parks or at the beach, shopping or eating, and more time online. This trend began before the pandemic and was spurred on by the pandemic. Social psychologist Jonathan Hite says, “A child’s brain is already 90% the size of an adult’s by about age 6. The next 10 to 15 years is when they learn norms and acquire physical, analytical, creative, and social skills.” He stated. And he warns that important teenage social skills will atrophy due to this decline in face-to-face interaction among young people.
This warning must be taken very seriously. A study published earlier this month tells us how important it is.
Northwestern University has been studying people over the age of 80, known as “super-agers,” for 25 years. To qualify as a “superager,” a person must be at least 80 years of age and have “episodic memory,” the ability to recall everyday events and past personal history, equal to or better than a person in their 50s or 60s with normal cognitive abilities.
Although the diets and lifestyles of the “superagers” varied, there were several things they had in common.
Unlike general brain aging, superagers do not show significant thinning of the cerebral cortex (the outer layer of the brain) and even have a thicker anterior cingulate cortex than young adults. This critical region of the brain plays a key role in integrating information related to decision making, emotions, and motivation.
Superagers have more von Econo Neurons, specialized cells associated with social behavior, and Entorhinal Neurons, neurons important for memory, than the average elderly person.
And most notably, super-agers are often very social, connected, and active in their communities! They have a high sense of autonomy, freedom, and independence, and they make their own decisions and live their lives as they wish.
In other words, when social skills are impaired, people tend to isolate themselves, which increases the likelihood that they will later develop cognitive impairments like Alzheimer’s disease. Some Gen Z workers (born 1997-2009) “struggle with certain interpersonal skills despite their expertise on the digital side,” says Shena Mistry, career and leadership coach.” For example, a young professional might ace a virtual presentation but stagger during an in-person meeting, struggling to maintain eye contact or articulate their thoughts clearly.” It is not only among young people that face-to-face interactions with others are declining, but also among people in their 40s and 50s, who are in the prime of their working lives.
If we do not consciously change our priorities and relearn how to nurture relationships that have substance in the context of a meaningful life, there is a risk that one of the most basic sources of happiness, “connection,” will disappear from the background of our lives, eventually leading to isolation and a lonely end in the form of dementia.
Reference
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2024/06/16/why-the-social-and-verbal-skills-of-some-gen-z-workers-have-declined/
- https://www.nprillinois.org/2022-12-20/why-americans-are-spending-less-time-with-friends-and-what-to-do-about-it
- https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.70312
- https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-years-superager-cognitive-decline-inevitable.html
- https://www.ft.com/content/23053544-fede-4c0d-8cda-174e9bdce348
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