Social Atom - Mapping My World
- Kenneth Pecoraro
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Social Atoms have been used for years as a visual way of exploring the important relationships in a person's life. They are simple, interactive, and can lead to some surprisingly meaningful discussion.
After using Social Atoms in groups over the years, one thing became increasingly clear: people aren't the only things we have relationships with.
We can have a relationship with our job. A neighborhood. A hobby. A pet. Social media. Music. The gym. A recovery group. Alcohol or other substances. Something from our past. Even something that is no longer part of our life can still take up a lot of space in our thoughts and feelings.
That idea became the basis for this expanded Taking the Escalator version of the Social Atom.
Instead of simply asking:
"Who is in my world?"
This activity takes a broader look at:
"What is in my world, and how is it affecting me?"
Participants put ME at the center and begin mapping the people, places, activities, habits, and other associations that make up their world. Distance and simple relationship symbols can then be used to explore closeness, support, disconnection, conflict, and influence.
Then comes the most important part: stepping back and noticing.
What ended up closest to me?
What has the strongest influence on me?
What brings out something good in me?
What brings out a side of me that I am trying to change?
Is something taking up more space in my world than I realized?
Is something important missing?
The activity also looks toward the future. Participants can consider what they might want their Social Atom to look like if things in their life were going well. Maybe someone moves closer. Maybe stronger boundaries create some distance. Maybe a new source of support gets added. Or maybe the biggest change isn't another person at all, but how they respond to that relationship.
Sometimes putting our world down on paper allows us to see things a little differently than when everything is just floating around in our heads.
The goal isn't to create a perfect diagram. The goal is insight, discussion, and a better understanding of our world right now, as well as where we may want it to go.
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