Social anxiety is a term used to describe an experience of anxiety (emotional discomfort, fear, apprehension, or worry) regarding social situations, interactions with others and being evaluated or scrutinized by other people. It occurs early in childhood as a normal part of the development of social functioning, but may go unnoticed until adolescence . People vary in how often they experience social anxiety or in which kinds of situations. It can be related to shyness or other emotional or temperamental factors, but its exact nature is still the subject of research and theory.

A psychopathological form of social anxiety is called social phobia or social anxiety disorder. This disorder can result in a reduced quality of life for those having it. Social anxiety can be self-integrated and persistent for people who suffer from OCD, which can make the social anxiety even harder to control, especially if ignored.

Some use the terms "social anxiety" and "social phobia" interchangeably.

Forms and degrees

Child development

Social anxiety first occurs in infancy and is said to be a normal and necessary emotion for effective social functioning and developmental growth. Cognitive advances and increased pressures in late childhood and early adolescence result in social anxiety being experienced repeatedly. Adolescents have identified their most common anxieties as focused on relationships with peers that they are attracted to, peer rejection, public speaking, blushing, self-consciousness, and past behavior. Most adolescents progress through their fears and meet the developmental demands placed on them.