Is running a full node helpful to the network?

I'm running a full node on a Raspberry Pi. I'd like to think I'm contributing, though miniscule, a little to the health and security of the network. I've been reading however that "Economic Nodes" are the only ones that matter. How are these defined, should I operate one, and am I contributing nothing if I don't? I am aware of the personal benefits, privacy etc., of running a full node but I am talking about contribution to the whole