If the aim of mandatory programs like Green Dot and Booze, Sex and Reality Checks is to improve the lives of freshmen and make them healthier individuals, then a healthy relationships workshop would help reach this goal.

Everyone cultivates relationships during freshman year. It’s a time when we are all new to college and hoping to find our niche in this large university.

Freshmen are the most susceptible to high-risk behaviors, such as binge drinking, according to WSU news.

Therefore, this vulnerable period can make it easier for freshmen to isolate themselves or engage in relationships based on partying.

It can also be especially difficult to preserve healthy relationships in college because we are in a very different setting. A lot of us will be trying to find a major, joining clubs and extracurricular activities; so retaining your own identity in relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be hard.

Healthy relationships include mutual respect, trust, support and honesty, said Michael Cleveland, associate professor of human development.

“The idea of maintaining your own separate identity becomes an important factor in maintaining the length of the relationship in a healthy way,” he said, “such as that you are still able to do things on your own or with other friends.”

In the millennial generation, social media and phone usage runs rampant. Ninety percent of millennials use smartphones, according to Social Media Today.

This means that many of us are increasing our screen time, and we talk to people in person less and less.

Open communication, an element of healthy relationships, can only be achieved through being present in person with any partner, Cleveland said.

“Cell phones and those other things have intruded into our relationships in general,” he said. “Healthy communication should take place face-to-face.”

Many nuances get lost with communication through texts, emails and other technological means. Components, such as body language, tone of voice and emotions cannot be accurately conveyed.

Healthy relationships are important. They enrich our lives, make our days brighter and relieve stress when hardships come about. Not only are healthy relationships emotionally fulfilling, they also have a favorable effect on our bodies.

Positive social connections “influence our long-term health in ways every bit as powerful as adequate sleep, a good diet and not smoking,” according to a study by Harvard Medical School.

The students I’ve met at WSU, including myself, would benefit from a healthy relationships workshop so that we can navigate the world of social connections in an increasingly technological society.

Geana Javier is a sophomore economics major from Seattle. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of The Office of Student Media.