Students should be more active in initiating conversations with others as social interaction plays a significant role in our overall health.

“Scientific evidence shows that involvement in social relationships benefits health… Social ties also reduce mortality risk among adults with documented medical conditions,” according to the United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

Unfortunately social interaction has been on the decline. “The number of people who have someone to talk to about matters that are important to them has declined dramatically and the number of alternative discussion partners,” according to a Jun. 6 study published by the American Sociological Association.

Social isolation has become such a widespread issue that the United Kingdom’s government appointed member of parliament Tracey Crouch as the first minister for loneliness, according to a Jan. 17 United Kingdom government press release.

This decline of social interaction seems to be because of anxiety and attachment to phones.

“Starting a conversation with new people is nerve-racking,” said Eric Steel, freshman industrial manufacturing major “If you feel confident enough to start that conversation, then that’s a way of addressing [social isolation].”

A way that some might attempt to avoid this anxiety is by interacting with their cell phones rather than face-to-face conversations.

“Many people don’t start conversations because they feel like they’re gonna be judged. It’s easier to communicate over the internet instead,” said Ron Can, sophomore biological science major.

Despite how difficult starting a conversation may be, students should try their best to overcome this nervousness to be more comfortable with social interaction.

“Nervousness is a huge problem because it’s never dealt with. If you keep putting it aside, you’re never dealing with it, and you’re never going to get over it,” said junior psychology major Justin Voepell. “You have to meet it with it face to face; it’s a part of life. You have to grow, or you remain stagnant.”

Social interaction doesn’t come easily for some, however, it’s important that we try. People need to go out there and make some conversations.