According to the municipality, the 80,000 residents are too introverted and they often walk silently through the streets. And that must change, the Lulea board believes, in the interest of social cohesion, public health, safety and well-being in general.
Warm social contacts
The municipality’s social strategist, Asa Koski, has launched a campaign with this message. Posters have been pasted on city buses and municipal buildings calling on residents to say ‘hej’ (‘ha’ or ‘hi’) or to greet passers-by in some other way. This is also done on social media a video with the aim spread.
“Saying hi seems like a small thing, but research shows it builds social bonds and improves well-being,” says Koski. According to Koski, more and more people in Sweden are feeling lonely, especially in the 16 to 29 age group.
The introverted attitude is said to have to do with the cold climate in Northern Sweden. In December the sun shines at most three hours a day in Lulea and the average temperature is around -10 degrees. But according to Koski, people should greet each other again and that can create warm social contacts.
2023-11-08 21:46:40
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