Our academicians have acknowledged the importance of socializing for students for academic and general life success. It helps them immensely in a number of ways. And also supports the development of crucial life skills that help them across the stages of life. A well-adjusted and socially competent individual makes the most of opportunities in life. And such individuals also contribute positively to a more peaceful and sustainable society.
Some common benefits of socialization include personal well-being, critical thinking, emotional regulation, decision making, academic performance, etc. And our present education system focuses on creating these opportunities through a carefully planned curriculum (traditional and online school)
This detailed article will cover the essential aspects of socialization for a child. Let’s being with the benefits of social and emotional development for children in early childhood.
Why is Socializing Important for Students during Early Childhood?
For young children, social and emotional learning helps in teaching them acceptable ways of socializing and empathizing with others. Hence, our recent education policy (National Education Policy 2020) focuses on building social and emotional competencies from the initial stages of education. The policy also highlights the importance of investing in SEL (social and emotional learning) to lay the foundation for making Indian citizens more responsible members of society.
Let’s discuss some more benefits of socialization for students across all stages of education:
- Emotional Regulation and Healthy Relationships
Socializing helps in raising an emotionally intelligent child. For students, this means the ability to identify and label emotions that helps in regulating these. Back in the year 2020, a journal presented some shocking figures about the understanding of emotions in Indian students. Here’s a look at the key findings:
- 58.5% of students identified emotions correctly.
- 31.1% of the respondents gave empathetic responses.
It is noteworthy that the awareness of emotions helps a student in managing these through mindful practices (like yoga, meditation, physical exercise and music, etc.). In fact, it also helps in making him/her more compassionate and empathetic towards others. And this eventually helps him/her to maintain healthy relationships in life.
- Helps in reducing Stress Levels
It is an unfortunate reality that our Indian students face many unresolved challenges from an early stage in life. And despite good quality student education many of them live under immense stress and pressure. A simple example is the number of suicides among students during the pandemic. In the first 100 days of the lockdown, around 66 children (under 18 years of age) committed suicide in Kerala.
Similarly, academic rat race, peer pressure, and parental expectations also deprive the students of their happiness. Children who socialize with others tend to face fewer issues like anxiety, depression, etc. In fact, international organizations have proved that socializing is a wonderful way of keeping suicidal thoughts at bay.
The positive impact of socialization on education is also seen in student’s academic performance. Socializing helps them to develop essential skills to collaborate with others. And it also encourages teamwork in them.
- Life Skills
Life skills are essential to be a productive citizen of society. These skills include decision-making, critical thinking, communication, technology skills, empathy, setting boundaries and stress management, etc. We already know the impact of socialization on education and learning. But socializing is a great way for children to learn how to interact with others and stay resilient in tough situations. In the present times, socializing also develop much-needed intercultural understanding. This is a great quality for students and it makes them capable of contributing to a culturally responsive society.
- Reduces Behavior Problems
In the present times, our students face numerous issues that lead to behavior problems. As per a recent report (as of Oct’22), children in India battle with anxiety, fear, confusion, alienation, etc. All this leads to psychological distress. And once again socializing can help in keeping these threats away from the child. While interacting and spending time with others a child learns about socially acceptable behavior. And this automatically reduces behavior problems.
- Collaboration
Education in this digital age is all about building the 4Cs of the 21st century. And collaboration is an essential skill that determines the ability to function effectively within the community/society. In this era where online classes and remote learning have brought cross-cultural peers close to each other through virtual schools, collaboration is a much-needed competency. It not just builds a foundation for academic success. But also supports greater career prospects in the workforce. Our global job market requires highly creative individuals who can collaborate with others. Socializing with others helps in building the necessary skills like collaboration in students.
Concluding Thoughts
Socializing with others has varied benefits for students. On the other hand, children who stay isolated tend to develop low self-esteem and behavior problems over a period of time. From the innocent games of childhood to team work in the workforce, socializing is a part and parcel of our everyday lives. Our students are living in a highly connected digital world. And there is great importance for life skills, SEL competencies, and the relevant 4Cs of the 21st century. Our curriculum followed in traditional and online schools have already started integrating activities and content that promotes socializing opportunities. As stakeholders, we must pay attention to these aspects, and help our children develop as future-ready, articulate, interactive, and social adults.
Thanks for Reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is socializing important for students?
Socializing gives a student an opportunity to develop qualities like empathy, decision-making, collaboration, critical thinking, and resilience, etc.
- What is the need for SEL in Indian student education?
SEL competencies are given a lot of importance in our recent National Education Policy 2020. Our Indian policymakers have identified that our students lack the understanding required to identify and manage emotions. Hence, there is a focus on developing these skills by integrating SEL components into the curriculum.
- What is the impact of socialization on education?
A child who socializes well faces fewer problems in learning and collaborating with others. He/she learns the acceptable ways of the society well. And also becomes a good team player eventually.
