A friendship today could keep the doctor away

Before you delete that friend or family member off your social media, you might want to consider your health.

According to science journalist Lydia Denworth, friendships are just as important to your health as diet and exercise. She’s the author of Friendship: The Evolution, Biology and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond.

In it, Denworth explores why our friendships might be the most essential of all our relationships. She also explores the biology of how friendships impact your body, and dives into the effects of loneliness, and the new science concerning the development of meaningful social media bonds.

Lydia Denworth is a contributing editor for Scientific American. She writes for the Brain Waves blog for Psychology Today. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Newsweek and The New York Times.

She presented this talk -- Friendship: Your most essential relationship? -- on February 11 at Seattle's Pacific Science Center. The event was part of their Science In The City series.