Play is such an enormous part of their development.ĭENWORTH: Oh, yes. SHAPIRO: And do the same rules apply to adults and children? I'm thinking when kids are little, social interaction is such a huge part. And even just, like, a text from a friend that makes you laugh is going to trigger endorphins, which also have a sort of positive effect on your health.

And zoom video conference can make you feel connected and bonded, and that releases oxytocin, which makes us feel good. But that said, you still get lots of benefits from virtual communication because hearing the voice of someone you care about can reduce your stress levels. So eye contact really activates our communication circuits. So face-to-face interactions trigger more activity in the brain regions that are linked to social cognition and reward than other ways of connecting do. SHAPIRO: And does it matter whether we're sharing the same air or seeing each other's faces on FaceTime or Zoom or some other app?ĭENWORTH: It does make a difference. So it increases your longevity and your - but more than that, it effects - well, friendship - your level of social integration, so either how connected you are or how isolated you are, effects cardiovascular functioning, immune system functioning, cognitive health, mental health and even the rate at which your cells age. SHAPIRO: OK, but in our present day, how do friendships improve our mental and physical well-being on a measurable scale?ĭENWORTH: Oh, let me count the ways (laughter). But it turns out that cooperation has been at least as important as how good you were in a fight and that there were real evolutionary advantages to being good at making friends and maintaining those relationships. Well, the phrase survival of the fittest is usually understood to be all about fierce and even brutal competition for survival. What do you mean by that?ĭENWORTH: (Laughter) Yeah. You say it's actually survival of the friendliest.

SHAPIRO: We're all familiar with the expression survival of the fittest. She is author of 'Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, And Extraordinary Power Of Life's Fundamental Bond.' Lydia Denworth is here to explain why that's so important. Well, here's a tip from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that we don't hear as often - call your friends. We're all familiar with certain CDC recommendations - wash your hands, don't touch your face, avoid social gatherings.

Lydia denworth friendship