When I mentioned to my sister that I wanted to meet a childhood neighbor, she mentioned this term, 无效社交 (wú xiào shè jiāo), ineffective social activities, something that I should avoid at my age.
She said, once I went to a school reunion, one person tried to sell something to us. I think everyone goes there for some purpose. Young people go for networking or searching for relationships or more connections. They all come with intended purposes.
"Nowadays people don't go to gatherings if they see nothing to gain. At our age, people start shrinking their social circles, cutting off unnecessary social activities. You are the only one who still engage in 无效社交. See no one wants to come for your college classmate reunion this year, right?"
She is right. I can understand when people don't want to waste time on gatherings that don't lead to meaningful connections or for some reasons they lose interests in learning about each other. I myself particularly don't enjoy superficial conversations or one lacking in sincerity.
Also, I understand people's priorities change as they age. Older people may be more selective about gatherings they attend. They may prioritize high quality over quantity.
Still, I think it's important to remain open to new experiences and opportunities for learning even for seniors, to broaden perspectives by engaging new people and new activities. And more importantly, keep their curiosity. Why not?
Also, I think that social interactions can fulfill a variety of functions, including emotional support, companionship, belongingness, and recreation, even a hearty therapeutic laughter, that we so need in our senior years.