According to Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman social networking sites such as Facebook could potentially raise your risk of health problems such as imparing mental performance due to the lack of face to face contact.
The facts put forward by Dr Sigman are that increased isolation can alter the way genes work and upset immune responses, hormone levels and the function of arteries.
Why has this sudden and quick rise occured in todays society where emailing people rather than meeting them has become the norm. One reason is social networking sites such like Facebook and Bebo allow people to communicate regulaly with others all over the world in a cost effective and conveniant medium. Users can swap pictures, play games and leave messages.
Research and cautions like the ones from Dr Sigman are constantly ignored,as over the top advice. Almost on a daily occurance new resaecch is put into the public eye with Doctors forewarning people of the dangers in using mainstarem popular services.
Is it case of a large sense of molly coddling the public by these Doctors assuming that everyone will be affected in the same way when using services like Facebook, or even that everyone uses these so called harmful services in equal quantities.
The only way that people will pay attention to the resaerch facts stated by Doctors such as Dr Sigman are when a significant amonunt of individuals feel these possible harmful effects.
So would this research put you off using your online social networking accounts?
Tags: social networking
April 11, 2009 at 1:04 pm |
I think there is a reason studies like these are ignored. People that don’t get out as a result of social networking is unlikely to be a very social people and probably wouldn’t get out much in the first place.
On the other hand, people who felt isolated before social networking sites can now socialize without thinking about the physical or mental implications that kept them from doing such things before.
I’m always skeptical about such studies and think a big part of the theories they seek to prove, is to gain publicity.