How Community Spaces Enhance Student Connection

By Grace Harris 

We humans are social creatures, who crave the companionship of others. Since the Prehistoric period, humans have travelled in groups [1]. Evolution has taught us the safety in numbers. As the centuries have passed, humanity has made some of its greatest advancements through community and cooperation; when working in close proximity, we flourish. However, due to the rise of social media, communication is increasingly taking place online rather than in person. I believe that this is harmful to our society and our individual mental states, and that social spaces, such as sporting facilities, parks and social spaces, are essential for people to maintain healthy social behaviours.   

There are thousands of facilities around the world, and many in our own city, that are built to cater to our needs as social creatures. These spaces can better our mental health, foster a sense of safety and even provide physical health benefits. By taking active involvement in communal settings, brain health is improved through continual stimulation, lowering one’s risk of developing dementia [2].  

Biological advantages aside, I imagine that we can all acknowledge, whether you are an introvert, an extrovert or somewhere in between, that socialising often makes us feel fundamentally better. We need areas where we can casually benefit from the company of others. Our very own One Elmwood, more commonly known as the SU, is a great place to hang out and socialise with other students. 

Anyone who has stepped through the doors of One Elmwood will tell you that every inch of the building has been crafted with students in mind. There are places to buy lunch (Spar and Social), chill with friends (SU Lounge), or have a fun night out (Union bar or Mandela hall). If you have braved the SU after your 2pm lecture, you know that these places are often full to the brim; this proves that well-crafted social spaces are in high demand, and that they carry genuine merit regarding positive mental health. 

 If we did not feel the benefits of social spaces like the SU, we simply would not keep returning to them. 

In my short time so far at Queen’s, I already have so many memories in One Elmwood; gathering around the piano with my friends, eating lunch between lectures, playing board games. Without a central hub for students and the facilities available, many of these moments integral to the university experience would not be possible. 

I feel privileged to be attending university at a time when accessing these facilities in person and having physical interactions every day is possible. During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were not able to have these experiences.  

As a result of the lockdowns, young people’s social skills have taken a hit. This is partly due to the prevalence of social media- it stimulated our need for human interaction at a time when people needed it the most, and virtually served to make the world more interconnected. However, even since our society has returned to operating in post-pandemic conditions, platforms such as TikTok or Instagram have remained our generation’s primary form of communication and connection. This is not healthy; we need to be communicating with each other face to face rather than through a screen. 

These spaces provide us with an opportunity to disregard our screens for a moment and truly concentrate on the world around us. They are particularly beneficial to students who do not necessarily participate in sport or extracurriculars, giving them an opportunity to be around other students and meet new people. 

Although they have their perks, social media sites have dark sides; they are addictive and can be detrimental to our mental health. Social spaces replace the monotonous, virtual habits we have gained from these sites with positive, in-person connections. 

 It is evident to me that social spaces are enormously important in improving mental health and shaping a positive future, in which humans can have a strong sense community and harmony. We must take a step back from the virtual world and begin improving our society in the small ways we interact with each other every day. Maybe social spaces like One Elmwood can be the stepping stones towards a brighter future.   

Sources:

[1]  Vladas Griskevicius, Martie G. Haselton, and Joshua M. Ackerman, “APA Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology: Vol. 3. Interpersonal Relations”, Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association, 2015. 

[2] Sommerlad, A., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E.B. et al., “Social participation and risk of developing dementia”, Nature Aging, 2023.