Top 5 Important Social Skills for Students

In a world that is increasingly moving towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR), individuals are often cut off from reality. This impacts the way we interact with other humans and integrate into society. Most often, the impact is negative. Social skills can diminish over time, affecting our entire behaviour pattern towards others. Hence, it has become imperative that children learn social skills at a young age. These are important to deal with situations and people. Here, we trace the importance of social skills for students and how they help in the long run.

Along with a highly digitalised world, the outbreak of COVID threw our lives off-gear, and children were the most affected. With the entire education system moving online, children were isolated and confined in their homes. Classes held online could never replace the energy and zest of offline classes. Humans are social beings, and as per studies, the lockdown during the pandemic disrupted children’s emotional and cognitive abilities. This, in turn, affected their mental well-being. The situation had a great impact on important social skills for students hampering their overall growth. Hence, the need to develop these social skills.

Listening

While holding a conversation, it is important to listen to others. It is important to understand another person’s perspective or opinion. Listening helps maintain and indulge in a positive conversation. When you listen to the other individual, you can frame your response based on what they say. This also eliminates confusion and brings clarity to the conversation.

Sharing

Many people consider sharing as daily titbits on online chats. However, it is not so. Sharing is not about information or some charity work. It refers to when you share a belonging such as a toy, book, or your tiffin with someone. A child may have two chocolates and share one with a friend. This encourages a familial feeling towards another person, thus nurturing a strong relationship.

Empathy

Empathy is akin to kindness, as it is the ability to accept and share feelings with each other. This is intertwined with listening but is still different. It relates to the ability to feel what another individual feels after they share their feelings. Empathy is an important emotional skill for students as this way, they can connect with others instantly and helps them respond calmly and peacefully.

Problem-solving

Hurdles, problems and difficulties are an integral part of our lives, and it is the way we react to these that matters. Our reaction determines how good we are at analytical abilities. Developing strong analytical skills is important for students as these are useful in their studies as well as their lives. Learning to turn a negative situation around into a positive one is what problem-solving is all about.

Respecting

It is one thing to be friendly and quite another to respect a person. Many times, we do not realise that we have crossed the line and take the other person for granted. As they say, respect is an attitude…hence it is important to ‘agree to disagree’ and respect another’s perspective. This skill blends in with that of listening, making it an important interaction skill for students.

Decoding important social skills that students must possess or develop may not seem simple, but it is not rocket science either. Social skills also teach how to handle peer pressure as well. These skills are imperative in strengthening interpersonal skills and in shaping a child’s overall personality. Developing social skills aids in the growth of a child, turning them into a strong emotional individual.