Among Gen Z’s many contributions is the concept of the “Social Renaissance.” Not to be confused with the social revolution of the 1960s, Gen Z’s Social Renaissance is a reaction against the solitary lives we pursue through the ubiquity of digital entertainment. Many of us need to be alone from time to time to recharge, but the 2020s have been characterized by growing loneliness and isolation. Enter the Social Renaissance. While Gen Z didn’t invent the concept of hanging out with friends in person, their intentional adoption of real world gatherings has highlighted what we might be missing by prioritizing alone time above all else. This is perhaps especially relevant in the world of group therapy. 

Individual therapy is a powerful tool to make real changes in your life. In a private and secure environment, you and your therapist can develop a close alliance in addressing problems and processing emotions. The experiences you have with your therapist can become stepping stones to similar breakthroughs in your personal life, leading to more honest conversations and a more grounded, authentic way of being in the world. At the same time, individual therapy may not be a one-size-fits-all solution. The principles of the Gen Z Social Renaissance can help explain where stepping out of your bubble and into a group can provide transformative growth.

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How does my brain respond differently when I’m around other people?

Besides the external signs of good socializing - improved mood, increased energy - our brains respond to stimuli differently when we’re with a group vs. when we’re alone.

Co-regulation: 

Co-regulation allows us to benefit from another’s regulated nervous system just by being around them. Cues of a regulated person include vocal rhythm and tone, facial muscles, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and posture. Your unconscious mind reads these signs before your conscious mind can decode them, so this likely happens when you’re not noticing it. Therapists intentionally provide this to clients by regulating their own systems, using a gentle but authoritative voice, and paying attention to body language and facial expression. When you’re in a group of people who have practiced this intentionally or unintentionally with one another, you can benefit from the co-regulation of the group. Pay attention to people who just feel “good” to be around - they are likely exhibiting these cues and allowing you to tap into their regulated state. 

Brain wave synchronicity: 

Studies have demonstrated that when two or more people spend time together, their brain waves tend to synchronize. When you’re engaged in conversation with someone, playing a game with them, singing and dancing together, etc., neurons in each of your brains fire in a matching pattern. This process is also called “entrainment.” It can arise naturally or intentionally as a result of sound, light, and movement - anything that you and the other person can experience simultaneously. Similar to co-regulation, entrainment allows us to tap into a group's mental state and benefit from what they’ve already learned and experienced. Meditation can also alter brainwaves with positive outcomes for practitioners, and being around the right people on a regular basis can provide some of the same results.

Neuroplasticity: 

Neuroplasticity is our brains’ ability to form new neural pathways, essential for all kinds of learning and development. When we’re around other people, our neuroplasticity increases so that we can reshape the way we think and adopt new behaviors. This increases our ability to be empathetic, develop new skills, and adapt to new social situations, all of which are goals of therapy across a number of mental health challenges. Your therapist can contribute to this growth through your relationship with them, but participating in a group setting gives you access to more varied stimuli. The quality of your interactions is far more important than the quantity, so you don’t need to be a social butterfly to experience this benefit. Group therapy is a place where people gather to solve a common problem, and by joining with others to learn new things, you increase the likelihood that learning will actually take place.

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How can I join the Social Renaissance in my personal life?

The character of Gen Z’s Social Renaissance is influenced by their development as children of the internet age. In the same way that Millennials tried to escape from the real world into the internet, Gen Z seeks to escape from the internet into the real world. Having spent formative years in COVID lockdown, Gen Z values gathering with friends in so-called “third spaces.” Third spaces are outside home and work, and include everything from workout classes to interactive in-person pop ups. A signature aspect of these third spaces is the absence of drugs and heavy drinking; “soft clubbing” is on the rise, involving personal growth and wellness in the daytime over hard partying late into the night. 

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Here’s some gathering ideas from the Social Renaissance to try:

1. Hosting guests at your home for a booze-free dinner party featuring a group activity like board games or crafts 

You may have hosted dinner parties at home before, but the Gen Z twist on these is to remove drinking as the central function of the occasion. Rather than calculating how many bottles of red and white you need for X number of people, preparing for this gathering involves a focus on food and shared activities, whether that’s breaking out a game of Taboo or picking up a bunch of old magazines for a group collage session. While Gen Z hasn’t given up on drinking entirely, they do have a reputation for drinking less than Millennials, and for prioritizing conscious connection over hilarious drunken antics. There’s plenty of room in our lives for drunken antics with friends, but making time to get closer to people without the benefit of chemical courage can engender deeper, more authentic relationships.

2. Attending a daytime fitness rave or dance party: 

Another feature of the Gen Z Social Renaissance is a change in the time of day they choose to gather. While they still incorporate aspects of traditional night life like dancing and blacklights, these events again center healthy, sustainable activities during a time of day when heavy drinking and drug use isn’t typically acceptable.

3. Joining a club for running, cycling, soccer, knitting - any group activity you can think of: 

All kinds of clubs are on the rise, from swanky social clubs to informal lawn games and crafting groups. While the self-contained self-help model we’re used to seeing recommends pursuing our favorite hobbies during our solo time, the Social Renaissance invites us to partake in them in a group setting. In addition to in-person groups, Gen Z has also elevated the role of real-time online interactive groups as a way to socialize with intention. Gaming groups and Discord communities invite users to gather with others over voice or video chat as they watch movies and play games together. Reflect on what your favorite hobbies are and see who else in your community enjoys them enough to do them together on a regular basis.

4. Participating in a twelve step program or group therapy: 

This is a more niche activity in that it hasn’t been formally identified as part of the Social Renaissance, but it shares many of the same aspects of these shared experiences and activities. By gathering with others for a common cause rather than interfacing with a single therapist, participants meet new friends and adopt new healthier behaviors as they witness how much it helps their peers. Rather than connecting over a drink or a party, they connect over shared goals and values, achieving the authentic connection that is the goal of the Social Renaissance.

What are the benefits of group therapy?

• Stigma reduction: The simple act of gathering with others who share your struggles can assuage feelings of avoidance and embarrassment  around your mental health and interpersonal challenges. Despite the growing prevalence of therapy, not being able to fix your own problems by yourself is still a point of shame for some of us. Seeing others who are willing to enter the group and witnessing their improvement over time is a powerful reminder that there is nothing braver or more responsible than letting others in.
• Solidarity: If you’re isolated in your quest to improve your mental health or change your behaviors, particularly if you’re embedded in a family or community that actively rejects your attempts to care for yourself, group therapy can provide a new platform and outlet where your efforts to heal are supported and celebrated. Knowing you have a place where you can go to feel understood provides additional support in situations where you aren’t embedded in a community of care.
• Shame and Isolation: Feelings of shame over what we’re dealing with in our lives can prevent us from seeking treatment, so individual therapy can be a good place to unpack those feelings for the first time. Going to group therapy has the added benefit of exposing you to people who are overcoming their shame and leaving isolation to seek help and to help others. Group therapy typically involves members discussing their issues with members of the group, with a therapist acting as a moderator to ensure everyone has equal time to share and that shares are pertinent to the goals of the group. Hearing the challenges and successes of others who share your experiences and mirroring their behavior can relieve you of counterproductive shame and break the isolation that can often lead to backsliding or a relapse.
• Conflict Resolution: Difficulty facing and handling conflict is a feature of many mental health issues and a common stressor for relationships. You can work on this with a therapist who will provide you with tools to handle conflict while gently challenging you to make different choices and take different actions. Group therapy can take this a step further by providing a safe space to actively disagree with peers while benefitting from the insight of a therapist to coach you through it.

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Does Sage Therapy offer group therapy?

Yes, Sage offers a number of groups for different kinds of individuals employing different modalities to suit their needs. Combining individual therapy for general support with group therapy focused on a particular issue gives clients a well-rounded experience that allows them to transition between safe spaces and more unstructured spaces. Include others in your therapeutic journey to amplify the benefits you experience by working one-on-one with your therapist, and launch your healing Social Renaissance!