Social Health Class 10 Notes, Formulas, Questions | SSC

This chapter widens the idea of health beyond the body to a person's ability to get along with others. It lists the factors that affect social health and the problems that disturb it: mental stress, gender inequality, addiction, neglect of the chronically ill and old, excessive use of phones and the internet, and cyber crime. It ends with practical ways of managing stress and with organizations and government schemes that help people in distress.

Summary

Social health is a person's ability to build relationships with others and to change one's behaviour as social conditions change. It is supported by a strong personality, many friends and relatives, proper use of time when alone and with peers, trust in others, and respect and acceptance of others. It is affected by the satisfaction of basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter and medicines, education and job opportunities, financial status, the social and physical conditions of the surroundings (water, toilets, transport, gardens, playgrounds), social safety and political conditions.

Mental stress disturbs social health. Rising population has increased competition in education, jobs and business, and children face loneliness and stress because of nuclear families and working parents. Girls face stress from gender inequality: more restrictions and household duties than boys, and teasing and molestation in society. Growing disorder, crime and violence also cause stress, and people who see crime as a quick way to earn money can be drawn into it.

Adolescents are strongly influenced by their peer group. Under peer pressure, as a show of high living or by imitating elders, they may try tobacco, cigarettes, gutkha, alcohol or drugs and become addicted. These substances can permanently damage the nervous system, muscles and heart, and tobacco causes cancer of the mouth and lungs. Wrongly made liquor becomes poisonous and can kill many people at once. Alcoholism reduces the efficiency of the brain and liver and shortens life; in adolescents it hinders brain development, slowing memory and learning, and the addict cannot think rationally.

Ignoring people with chronic diseases such as AIDS, TB, leprosy and mental disorders, and neglecting old people, increases old age homes and harms social health. Excessive and irrational use of mobile phones, computers and the internet is also a kind of addiction. Phone radiation may cause tiredness, headache, insomnia, forgetfulness, tinnitus, joint pain and vision problems, and it penetrates children's bones more than adults'. Heavy internet users become solitary and self-centred, may develop problems like autism and selfishness, and become less sensitive to others.

Violent cartoon films and games of virtual war and car races can make children's behaviour negative, and some games waste time and money, harm concentration and may even be fatal. Taking risky selfies without awareness of danger is called selfiecide. Making videos of accidents instead of helping victims, domestic violence and sharing videos of suicidal acts are signs of mental illness and a release of stress.

Cyber crimes include cheating consumers on websites, bank transactions using a person's PIN without their knowledge, hacking confidential information, fake social media accounts used to tease or exploit girls, piracy of others' literature, software, photos, videos and music, and spreading derogatory, vulgar or inflammatory messages. Such crimes are also a mental illness. Police departments now have cyber crime units. The IT Act 2000 came into force on 17 October 2000 and was amended in 2008; the punishment can be imprisonment of 3 years or a fine up to 5 lakh rupees. Maharashtra was the first state to start a separate cyber crime unit.

Stress can be managed by laughing in laughter clubs, talking to friends, teachers and especially parents, writing down feelings, and following hobbies such as collecting, photography, reading, cooking, drawing, rangoli and dancing. Music, outdoor games, gardening, bird watching, rearing pets, exercise, massage, yoga, deep breathing and meditation keep the mind positive and improve concentration. Time management, planning and decision-making build a strong personality. When these fail, depression and frustration may follow, and medical advice, counselling and psychotherapy help.

Organizations also help. The Unified Movement against Tobacco, started by 45 organizations including WHO and Tata Trust, works to control tobacco use. The Salaam Mumbai Foundation empowers slum children through education, sports, arts and business and has worked since 2002 to make schools tobacco-free, in about 200 schools in Mumbai and 14000 in the rest of Maharashtra. Government helpline numbers allow children in distress to get help and guidance.

Mind map

How peer pressure can lead to addiction and social illness

Important definitions

Key points to remember

• Social health is the ability to build relationships and to adjust behaviour to social change.
• Nuclear families and working parents leave children lonely and stressed.
• Gender inequality is a cause of stress among girls.
• Peer group influence is strongest in adolescence.
• Alcoholism reduces the efficiency of the brain and liver and shortens life.
• Neglect of the chronically ill and old people harms social health.
• Mobile radiation penetrates children's bones more effectively than adults'.
• Risky selfie taking is called selfiecide.
• IT Act 2000 came into force on 17 October 2000 and was amended in 2008.
• Maharashtra was the first state to start a separate cyber crime unit.
• Unified Movement against Tobacco was started by 45 organizations including WHO and Tata Trust.
• Salaam Mumbai Foundation has worked since 2002 for tobacco-free schools.

Solved examples

Example 1. What will you do if you find yourself spending too much time on internet and mobile games? Why?

1. Set a fixed, short time for phone use and keep the phone away while studying and eating. 2. Replace the extra time with outdoor games, hobbies or talking with family and friends. Reason: overuse is a kind of addiction that causes tiredness, headache, insomnia and loss of concentration, and makes a person solitary and self-centred.

Example 2. Your neighbour's child is addicted to tobacco chewing. What will you do? Why?

1. Tell the child's parents politely. 2. Explain to the child that tobacco causes cancer of the mouth and damages health. 3. Suggest counselling or anti-tobacco organizations and the helpline. Reason: addiction harms the body and later leads to mental, family and social problems.

Example 3. Your sister has become incommunicative and prefers to stay alone. What will you do?

1. Spend time with her and encourage her to share her feelings. 2. Involve her in family activities, hobbies and outdoor games. 3. Inform parents and, if needed, take her to a counsellor. Reason: loneliness and unexpressed stress can lead to depression; communication relieves stress and restores social health.

Example 4. Your brother in Std XII is under stress. How will you help?

1. Talk with him and listen to his worries. 2. Help him plan his time and studies. 3. Encourage music, exercise, deep breathing, yoga or meditation, which relax the mind and improve concentration. 4. If stress continues, seek counselling. Reason: good communication, time management and relaxation reduce stress.

Example 5. Your friend has developed a habit of taking selfies everywhere. What will you do?

Explain that while taking selfies one is unaware of the surroundings and risks, and many people have died by drowning, falling into valleys or under trains; this is called selfiecide. Advise the friend to avoid selfies in dangerous places and to spend time on safer hobbies.

Important questions and answers

Q1. Fill in: Laughter club is a remedy to drive away ____.

Stress.

Q2. Fill in: Alcohol consumption mainly affects the ____ system.

Nervous system.

Q3. Fill in: The act ____ is to curb cyber crimes.

IT Act 2000.

Q4. Which factors affect social health?

Satisfaction of basic needs like food, clothing, shelter and medicines; education and job opportunities; financial status; social and physical conditions of the surroundings such as water, toilets, transport, gardens and playgrounds; social safety and treatment; and political conditions.

Q5. Which changes occur in persons who continuously use the internet and mobile phones?

They become unaware of their surroundings and solitary, cannot build harmonious relations with relatives and society, become self-centred and less sensitive towards others, and may develop problems like autism and selfishness. Physically they may suffer from tiredness, headache, insomnia, forgetfulness, tinnitus, joint pains and vision problems.

Q6. Which problems does a common man face due to cyber crime?

He may be cheated by websites selling inferior or damaged goods, lose money through bank transactions using his PIN, have personal data and phone numbers spread to unwanted people, receive unnecessary messages that may damage his phone or computer, and face harassment through fake accounts or derogatory messages.

Q7. Explain the importance of good communication with others.

Talking with friends, peers, teachers and especially parents lets us express our feelings and share problems. This relieves stress, prevents loneliness, builds trust and helps us adjust to others, which are the basis of good social health.

Q8. Give three hobbies that reduce stress.

Any three: photography, reading, cooking, drawing, rangoli, dancing, gardening, bird watching, music.

Q9. Give three diseases that endanger social health.

AIDS, tuberculosis and leprosy (also mental disorders).

Q10. Give three physical problems arising due to excessive use of mobile phones.

Any three: headache, insomnia, forgetfulness, tinnitus, joint pains, vision problems, tiredness.

Q11. Give three activities that come under cyber crime laws.

Hacking of information, piracy of software or music, and opening fake social media accounts to tease or cheat people (also online cheating and sending derogatory messages).

Q12. What are the various ways to minimize stress?

Laughing (laughter club), communicating with friends and parents, writing down feelings, hobbies, music, outdoor games, contact with nature, regular exercise and massage, yoga, deep breathing and meditation, time management and planning, and seeking counselling when needed.

Exam tips

• Learn the IT Act 2000 details: date 17 October 2000, amended 2008, punishment, and Maharashtra's first cyber crime unit.
• For 'what will you do' questions write the action and the reason separately.
• Prepare lists of three examples each: hobbies, diseases, mobile phone problems, cyber crimes.
• Use textbook terms like peer pressure, selfiecide, hacking and piracy in answers.

FAQs

What is social health?

It is a person's ability to establish relationships with other people and to change behaviour according to changing social conditions.

What is selfiecide?

Taking selfies without being aware of surroundings and risks, which has led to deaths by drowning, falling or being hit by trains.

What is the punishment under the IT Act 2000?

According to the textbook, a person committing cyber crime may face imprisonment of 3 years or a fine up to 5 lakh rupees.

How does meditation help students?

It improves the ability to concentrate and brings positivity in temperament, which helps in studies.

These notes were prepared with AI help from the Balbharati Science and Technology Part 2 textbook (2026-27) and checked against it.