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AARP MEMBERSHIP
Join AARP for just $15 for your first year when you sign up for automatic renewal. Gain instant access to exclusive products, hundreds of discounts and services, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
The Power of Social Connections
Strong relationships enhance emotional well-being and support cognitive health. Discover how to build lasting social bonds that will serve you well in the years ahead.
Happiness & Making Connections
Learn about the role happiness plays in brain health and the importance of making connections.
Test Your Knowledge
What do you know about the impact of social connections on the brain?
Fact 1: Humans are wired to be social.
The brain contains structures that form the social brain network, which manages our interactions with others. That network is larger in people with more and deeper relationships.
Fact 2: Being socially disconnected is as bad as...
It’s as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! Yes, when the U.S. surgeon general announced that, we were stunned too.
Fact 3: It’s possible to build a social life as you get older.
True! Finding ways to reconnect with old friends or make new ones is good for the brain and may reduce the risk of dementia. Finding your tribe — tribes, even — through family, clubs, religious groups, volunteering — one-on-one or in groups — is important. Being Social is one of the six pillars of brain health, so we’ve got a slew of information and ideas to help you expand your social circles.
Why Social Time Equals Good Times
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Take Action to Boost Your Social IQ
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