Participating in live events can improve happiness and engagement

Festivals, concerts, farmers’ markets and sporting events are not just entertaining, but by increasing the joy, satisfaction and absorption of the event, they greatly promote mental health.

Research from the University of South Australia shows that frequent participation in face-to-face events can result in measurable improvements in positive emotions and engagement, an impact that virtual events cannot be replicated.

A study of 351 South Australians found that attendance at events and enhanced well-being is closely linked, providing quantitative evidence for what many people have long doubted: going out and attending community gatherings makes people truly happier and more relevant to life.

Exceeding entertainment value

The researchers surveyed participants to understand that they participated in various activities (from cultural festivals to food markets) and used the established Perma framework to measure well-being, which assessed positive emotions, engagement, relationships, relationships, meaning, and achievement. The results show that people who regularly participate in in-person events experience higher levels of positive emotions such as joy and excitement.

Perhaps more interesting is that people who frequently attend activities also reported higher levels of participation, a state that completely absorbed activities that time seemed to be unnoticed. This shows that the experience created by events transcends the pleasure of the moment and becomes a deeper psychological immersion.

Associate Professor Sunny Son of UNISA explained this significance: “Our study takes a holistic approach by studying the relationship between participation in activities and well-being. We found that attending events can meaningfully improve individual well-being and encourage communities to use events to improve general well-being.”

Virtual and face-to-face experience

The study happened by chance in 2021, when Covid-19 restrictions forced many events online, creating a natural experiment to compare virtual and live experiences. Although virtual events do contribute to participants’ sense of accomplishment, they have no effect on other health aspects.

This discovery challenges the assumptions about digital alternatives to live experiences. Online concerts, streaming sports events and virtual gatherings may provide convenience and accessibility, but they seem to miss out on important elements that make people psychologically beneficial.

Key differences between event types include:

• Face-to-face events: Significantly enhance positive emotions and interactions
• Virtual Events: Enhance the sense of accomplishment, but lacks wider benefits.
• Physical interaction: On-site activities can be directly social contact and environmental immersion
• Accessibility: Virtual events attract a wider audience, but have limited psychological impact

Practical application

This study proposes practical strategies to utilize events to improve the well-being of various environments. Dr. Eliza Kitchen of Flinders University noted that organizations can incorporate activities into employee rewards programs or distribute free tickets to employees, thereby improving workplace satisfaction and productivity.

Educational institutions can similarly use events to support students’ mental health, especially related, given that nearly 39% of young Australians have reported experiencing mental health problems. Special events provide opportunities for social interactions, stress relief and personal growth that traditional academic environments may not provide.

Local councils may consider hosting free community events, not only for tourism or economic benefits, but also as a public health program. Such gatherings can help residents connect with their neighbors and build stronger community bonds, thus contributing to collective well-being.

Social Connection Science

The research’s approach reveals interesting nuances about how events affect health. The positive effects of face-to-face events actually intensify when researchers control for existing mental health problems, suggesting that these benefits apply in the population without regard to baseline psychological state.

This finding is related to people’s concerns that events may only benefit people who are already in good mental health. Instead, studies have shown that attendance at events can serve as an effective welfare intervention for different groups, including those managing mental health challenges.

Researchers stress that improvements in welfare exceed personal interests. People with higher welfare levels show better workplace performance, stronger community engagement, and reduced health care needs, resulting in a positive ripple effect throughout society.

With communities’ efforts to mental health problems and social isolation around the world, this study provides evidence-based investments to support on-site activities as well as well as well-being infrastructure, not just entertainment options.

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