6. The importance of social environment for young people’s well-being: family, friends, school and other areas of life

6. The importance of social environment for young people’s well-being: family, friends, school and other areas of life

What this is about

Breakfast with the family, travelling on the school bus with classmates, chatting to colleagues in the workplace, going to the cinema with a boyfriend or girlfriend in the evening. In non-pandemic times, we spend the majority of our day in company. This is important contact, particularly for adolescents and young adults whose personalities are developing. It helps them to flourish, can have a stabilising effect, and can significantly affect their well-being and health. In our study, we examined young people’s relationships with their social contacts and what impact the people in their environment have. To do so, we took a look at the significance for young people of other key areas of life, such schools or youth centres. We set out the results in this chapter.