Small Talk: How Casual Social Interactions Contribute to Social Wellbeing

By Nushaiba Nanjiba

When you are in the elevator on your way to work, do you strike up a conversation with your neighbours? Do you make small talk with the barista at your local coffee shop? These types of casual interactions may seem small and inconsequential. Some people might even hate making small talk. However, these interactions can play a vital role in supporting our social wellbeing. Social wellbeing recognizes how satisfied a person feels with their social interactions and connections with their friends and family, how included they feel in their community, and whether they feel that they belong in their community (Wang et al., 2023).

When we think about social connections, we often focus on spending time with family or creating strong and lasting friendships. However, casual social interactions are also vital components of feeling socially connected. Research by Sandstorm and Gunn (2014) highlights that having casual social interactions with acquaintances or community members is correlated with greater happiness when compared with having no interactions at all. We need to remember that social integration is on a continuum. There is a spectrum of how much individuals need to interact with others to feel socially satisfied (Vergunst, 2008). Some people have very high social needs, while others are content with much fewer social interactions. 

For many older adults who have experienced homelessness or housing insecurity, casual social interaction is important. Many older adults experiencing homelessness may feel alienated from their support systems due to distance, death, or moving around. As part of the Aging in the Right Place Partnership, we conducted interviews with residents at independent housing sites which offer onsite support to residents. As part of this research, we asked older adults who have previously experienced homelessness or housing precarity about their social wellbeing. Research participants emphasized the importance of having casual social interactions. They described how these interactions support their needs to connect with others and feel socially integrated. One participant described instances of interacting with people who he is not close friends with:

“I do know some people up there…I can't say they're real, like friends. They're more acquaintances. But there's people I can talk to and say, “Hey, let's go do this.” (Male, 56)

Participants mentioned that it is nice for them to have people around them even if they don’t necessarily interact with them. This is highlighted by a participant who talked about seeing the same woman on the bus for the last three years, five days a week. He mentioned how he has never talked to her, but seeing a familiar face made him feel less alone.

“It kind of gives you a connection in a certain area. You’re not all alone all the time….if I went out there and she wasn't there, I'd wonder how she was.” (Male, 73)

Casual social interactions are very small things that can influence someone’s day-to-day life and give people a chance to connect. Given that study participants reported being isolated or alienated from family, the place in which people live needs to consider social wellbeing so that people can age in the right place. The idea of “aging in the right place” recognizes that our environment needs to cater to the specific needs of older adults to support their aging. One of the unique needs of older adults experiencing homelessness is social integration, which plays an integral part in the social wellbeing and happiness of older adults (Canham et al., 2022).

It is important that housing for older adults is in a lively community where they can be physically and socially connected to others. Housing needs to be designed while keeping a social wellbeing lens in mind. Thus, there need to be spaces in buildings and communities where residents can have opportunities for casual interactions such as amenity rooms, exercise spaces, and benches. Little things like saying “hi” to each other in the elevator makes a difference to social wellbeing. Let’s make sure the physical and social design of our housing reflects that.  

References

Canham, S. L., Weldrick, R., Sussman, T., Walsh, C. A., & Mahmood, A. (2022). Aging in the right place: A conceptual framework of indicators for older persons experiencing homelessness. The Gerontologist, 62(9), 1251–1257. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnac023

Happy Cities. (2024, August 8). Building Social Connections: Housing Design Policies to support wellbeing for all. https://happycities.com/projects/building-social-connections-housing-design-policies-to-support-wellbeing-for-all

Sandstrom, G. M., & Dunn, E. W. (2014). Social Interactions and Well-Being: The Surprising Power of Weak Ties. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 40(7), 910–922. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167214529799

Vergunst, P. (2008). Social integration: Re-socialisation and symbolic boundaries in Dutch rural neighbourhoods. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 34(6), 917–934. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691830802211240

Wang, C., Chen, S., Shao, R., & Yang, W. (2023). Redefining human health: Physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, social wellbeing, and environmental wellbeing. Chinese Medical Journal, 136(20), 2395–2396. https://doi.org/10.1097/CM9.0000000000002817