Exploring Healthy Connection: Communication, Social Networks, and Wellbeing

Introduction

Establishing healthy social connections can buffer stress and help people cope with a variety of expected and unexpected events in life. And more than ever people are turning to virtual spaces in order to make social connections. This chapter explores the research related to establishing and maintaining social connections as well as the communicative processes that hinder and enhance health and wellbeing. Towards that end, this chapter establishes the salience of communication and social bonds in relation to human health and wellbeing, explores ways in which individual as well as relational health and wellbeing are affected by the use of social network sites, and presents a case for theoretical and applied research on the health-related functions of expressive communication in virtual settings such as online social networks. Additionally, this chapter pays special attention to the function of social support. Issues, controversies, and problems that face researchers are offered for consideration, as are directions for future research. The ultimate goal of this chapter is to build upon the existing body of work in the field by considering how communication that unfolds in social networks impacts human health and wellbeing.