Under-Socialization

Sociological research consistently demonstrates that one of the largest determinants of personal happiness is adequate socialization and quality interpersonal relationships. This includes positive friendships, family and peer relations, and romantic relationships. Without adequate socialization, a person will not have a high quality of life regardless of the quality of other aspects of his or her life. Most people recognize this — it is common for people to help their family members to find friends and romance, yet socialization is all but ignored at the societal level and in the nonprofit sector. There is a dissonance that needs to be bridged.

A Social Issue of Great Scale

Poor socialization may even be a bigger social issue than poor physical health. A social issue is something that causes suffering for people. Physical illness causes suffering, which is why we consider it a social issue and want to help people who are experiencing it. However, poor socialization has not received much attention as a social issue despite it causing a large portion of suffering in the world. We consider quality socialization of the utmost importance for ourselves as individuals because we know that it overwhelmingly affects our happiness, but we don’t apply this realization to others.

Poor socialization deserves the same weight for consideration in altruism as physical illness because it causes a comparable level of suffering in the world. One cannot be happy when one lacks friendship and romance any more than one can be happy in a time of acute physical illness. In some ways, socialization holds particular importance for the altruist because it can go beyond suffering alleviation to actually make people happy. Being free of disease, on the contrary, does not make people happy, it only avoids suffering. And needless to say, it can be easy for just about anyone to improve the socialization of others on a person-to-person level. A “How are you?” is often a good starting point.

This issue has the advantage of having many potential entrepreneurial solutions. It is always preferable to find market solutions for a social problem because they are mutually beneficial for the business and client and don’t use up limited philanthropic dollars. Athletic centers, bars, and dating websites have all helped people to connect with others while making a profit. Once poor socialization gains more attention as a societal problem, there will likely be more social entrepreneurs entering this space.

Many men in Asia face lifelong bachelorhood because so many girls are killed.

Possible Focus Areas

A major cause of singlehood globally is the gender imbalance in China and India, which has only worsened in recent years. Females have low status in these countries, resulting in many parents opting for abortions or murder of their young daughters. This is so common that it has created a major gender imbalance. Obviously, the killing of humans is an evil in itself, but it has also resulted in hundreds of millions of males who are forced to endure a lonely life without female companionship. Gendercide, as it is sometimes called, is among the most destructive practices in the world.

Acute social isolation is particularly common among the elderly. Unemployment, outliving friends and same-generation relatives, poor health and mobility contribute to isolation in this age group. It is not uncommon for elderly people to have no one to talk to, even over the phone. These barriers to socialization often result in chronic loneliness and depression. Churches tend to take care of members of their congregation through pastoral care visits, but other types of nonprofits that address social isolation in elders are few.

Relationships with Other Causes

Under-socialization is connected with many other social problems. For instance, poor physical or mental health can powerfully affect a person’s ability to have an adequate social life or relationships. In turn, the loneliness that comes along with social isolation can cause depression, and has many ill effects on physical health. Studies have found that under-socialization decreases life expectancy as much as obesity. Abuse also affects a person’s social life. Someone who is bullied may be shunned by her peers. A person who has been abused at home may develop low self-esteem or other psychological barriers that interfere with the development of healthy relationships.

Christians already understand the importance of socialization. Fellowship and community have always been fundamental to our faith. As a group, we are good at taking care of those in our congregation. We have programs to include people of all ages in activities and give pastoral care visits to elders who are isolated at home. We also try to include anyone to join our church and partake in the social benefits. However, we need to think and act more broadly to reduce loneliness locally and abroad, even for those who do not want to join the church.

Under-socialization is a large, yet little-explored altruistic cause area. There are countless types of socialization deficiencies and means to prevent them. CEAP has not identified an outstanding charity in this cause area but we feel that it is an issue that notably lends itself to research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.