Video Transcript: The Importance of Belongingness

Humans are a social species. We have a need for other people. Not just to have connections, but also to be a part of a community.

This fundamental human need is called belongingness. Now, we can't say for sure that 100% of people experienced this need, but a great majority of people do. It might be harder for some to admit this because attempting to connect with other people has been so painful for them, that’s it's easier not to try or to convince themselves that that's not something that they actually need, but this is rarely true. But not all of us socialise the same way. These social differences can make it more difficult to find belongingness and connection. This can have a massive impact on our wellbeing. Without the right support and information, being differently social can lead to:

• Social anxiety

• Rejection Sensitivity

• Masking

• Loneliness

• Difficulty making friends

All which contribute to a lack of belongingness. It can have impacts on your studies and career because often success is not only about being able to perform your tasks well, it’s also about being able to connect and get along with the people around you. And for those who are interested in romantic relationships and experience romantic or sexual attraction, it can impact their ability to find people to connect with romantically or sexually. In this video we’ve covered the importance of belongingness, and talked about how being differently social can impact our ability to connect and maintain relationships. For some of us, these difficulties have left us feeling lonely, rejected, or socially anxious. Let’s explore one of the biggest impacts of social difference in our next video - Neurodivergence and Social Anxiety.