The Influence of Socialization and Loneliness on Children’s Development and Functioning

Abstract

Social development is the ability of an individual to establish and form close, intimate and safe relationships with peers and other individuals. The development of social skills such as empathy, responsibility, making friends and conflict resolving attitude affect the quality of individual’s life and one’s needs.

People learn and develop social skills in a similar way as a child learns to walk or speak. This, of course, requires direct social contacts with parents, children and adults through whom we exchange opinions, experiences, thoughts and emotions. The melody of the voice, facial expressions, and movements during that exchange allow us to identify the emotions of our interlocutor, who may be protective to anticipate danger. In the process of developing social skills, children gain self-confidence and competencies that help them to solve problems more efficiently and form quality interpersonal relationships. Studies have shown that real social contacts affect the development of the ‘’social brain’’, i.e., the brain structures and neural networks that participate in social interactions and form the basis for social cognition. The frontal cortex, for example, allows for joint attention, and the amygdala recognizes and integrates emotions.

Modern technology has changed communication, attitudes and values greatly for today’s children, which is reflected in the present world in which children grow up. The technology we use today is not merely a tool, but an essential part of becoming and acting. According to research, social networks have been proven to reduce real social contacts as well as to negatively affect social competence when used intensively. Modern technology and social networks are widely used today by young people to the extent that they prevent real social connections, leading to loneliness.

Medical and psychological science has made great strides in explaining the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of loneliness, however, this knowledge remains little known to the general public. Considering that loneliness is a threat to every young person today, more attention should be paid to this issue.