The New York Times published an article this week (July 2010) about the importance of having a social network http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/a-new-risk-factor-your-social-life/ Apparently, the study shows that having strong social ties decreases your risk of dying by 50%! Researches concluded that not having a social network can be as dangerous to your health as smoking a pack a day or being an alcoholic.
In the study, strong family ties counted as a social network, but I suspect that the social experiences we get to have with our peers and elders are hugely important. So, if your only family ties are with your partner and kids, take a moment this week to consider how you can expand your social network to include some fun peer connections. According to this study, it really could be a matter of life and death.