Build social ties through live events

If your social life has been lived out in Zoom calls since the height of the pandemic, Labor Day weekend is prime time for a reboot.

Attending live events builds social connections and helps fight loneliness, just-published research affirms.

The findings—published online in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science—explain why and offer a guide to communities looking to foster connectedness.

“Humans are fundamentally social beings,” said study co-leader Julianne Holt-Lunstad, director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Bringham Young University in Provo, Utah. “The consequences that occur when people lack social connection … go beyond well-being and mental health, to influence both individual and community health, safety and prosperity.”

The prescription?

Get out of the house! Find stuff to do to with other people—be it a fitness class, tailgate party, volunteer gig or a simply sharing a meal at a restaurant with good friends. Recurring events earn bonus points.

Most important: Don’t be a bystander. Joining in is key.

“Our most striking finding was that active participation—where people are encouraged to interact rather than passively observe—was the strongest predictor of feeling socially connected during an event,” said co-author Richard Slatcher, a professor of psychology at the University of Georgia whose research focuses on how people’s relationships affect their well-being and health.

“This kind of engagement, even more than simply being in a crowd, appeared to foster a meaningful sense of connection,” he added in a journal news release.

For the study, researchers analyzed the experiences of 1,551 people who reported their experiences before and after various events, from fitness classes to concerts.

They found that attending events in person rather than virtually, going with friends rather than alone, and taking part in recurring activities rather than one-offs did the most to enhance feelings of connection.

Researchers said this is timely information because many people continue to feel isolated and lonely in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness an epidemic in 2023, researchers noted.

“People are still navigating how to rebuild community and combat the isolation many experienced during the pandemic,” Slatcher said.

The study underscores that while getting out of the house is good for you, feelings of social connection don’t last long. The glow fades within 24 hours.

Regular outings are the key—so go out again, and again, and again, researchers recommend.

“We believe these findings can empower individuals and communities,” Slatcher said.

Holt-Lunstad agreed.

“This research also has practical value for those looking to create programs and events that truly build community,” she said. “In a world that is increasingly isolated, gathering people via live events might be one way to start reversing these trends.”

Next up for the research team: Exploring ways to make these short-lived moments of connections endure.

“Our field of social psychology is getting a better and better sense of what sparks human connection,” Slatcher said. “A big question that remains is how to make it last.”

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