Complex networks have emerged as the primary framework for modeling the dynamics of interacting systems. However, networks inherently describe pairwise interactions, while real-world systems often involve interactions among groups of three or more units. In this talk, I will explore social systems as a natural testing ground for higher-order network approaches. I will briefly demonstrate how incorporating higher-order mechanisms can lead to the emergence of novel phenomena, presenting recent results on the influence of structural features and seeding strategies on emergent dynamics. Finally, I will delve into the microscopic dynamics of empirical higher-order structures, examining the mechanisms governing their temporal dynamics at both the individual and group levels. This will involve characterizing how individuals navigate groups and how groups form and dissolve. I will conclude by proposing a dynamical hypergraph model that closely reproduces empirical observations.