The readings emphasized the significant role that social relationships may play

in maintaining one's happiness and health. I would like to focus on the importance of
interpersonal relationships, specifically family, and social media in influencing one’s
well-being.

Duaqui (2013) stressed the importance of familial relationships in fostering

well-being of the elderly. We Filipinos place a high emphasis on our family, hence it is
typical for us to take care of our grandparents, compared to our Western counterparts
who often leave their elderly relatives in a supervised personal care facility. Taking care
of elderly patients in a home-setting will make them receive a more personalized,
one-on-one care. In addition to treating Lola's illness, her family focused on other issues
that would affect her overall health, such as caring for her mental, emotional and
spiritual wellbeing by planning trips and conducting novenas, respectively. These are
important as social interactions keep the elderly people happy and make them feel
loved, which might aid in improving their condition (Duaqui, 2013). Thankfully, Lola Alice
was able to get better with the help of her family, and she eventually overcame her
supposed illness.

Clark et al. (2018) also highlighted happiness in relation to the presence of social
media sites. They emphasized that social interactions in social media might have
positive or negative outcomes. Increase in connection might fuel social support and
compassion towards each other. In relation to our NSTP, CYM uses social media to
communicate and provide emotional support to those who have STDs. This helps them
to not feel lonely and influences/encourages their treatment. Social media may be
beneficial to us, but when we use it for purposes other than fostering human connection,
it can also have negative repercussions: isolation and social comparison which are both
detrimental to our well-being. For example, some of us compare ourselves to those
social media influencers' good looks and luxurious lifestyles, which can negatively affect
our self-esteem and mental health.

Integrating the readings, I realize how social relationships helped me conquer

Covid-19 as those people served to boost my morale and emotional well-being. When I
tested positive for Covid-19, my mental health deteriorated resulting from my fear that
my illness would worsen and that I could infect my grandparents. That has impacted my
wellbeing since I lost my appetite, which further exacerbated my condition. Thankfully,
my friends were all there to provide support by constantly calling and checking up on
me through Facebook. Additionally, my family provided not just medicines and food, but
also emotional support. Since I felt loved and supported by everyone, this ultimately
lifted my spirits. I started to slowly regain my appetite and eventually recovered from
Covid-19.

Therefore, developing relationships are crucial to our well-being since our

interactions with other people give us the sense of being valued, which motivates us.
Hence, I will value every relationship that will foster healthy connections, while ensuring
that those who will channel negativities are avoided.

References

Clarke, Jenna L. Clark, Sara B. Algoe, and Melanie C. Green. 2018. Social Network
Sites and Well-Being : The Role of Social Connection. Psychological Science 27 (1):
32-37.

Duaqui, Yellowbelle Del Mundo. 2013. “Growing Old Gracefully: A Filipino Family’s
Grandmother’s Story.” Asia-Pacific E-Journal of Health Social Science 2 (1): 1–2.