Social Networking and health implications

A recent research of English psychologist Dr. Aric Sigman suggests that the use of social networks - or more generally virtual/ online networking – can harm people’s health. It is certain that number of hours people spend interacting face-to-face has fallen dramatically, as the use of electronic media has increased. The numbers of hours that people spend face to face has been replaced significantly. Interactions effects of human body cannot be seen by email or online, therefore the research of Dr Sigman argues that virtual interaction undermines people's social skills and ability to read body language.
Dr Sigman claims that technology should enhance our lives not substituting human interaction. Moreover, the research of Dr Sigman argues that social networking sites are harming also our health by inducing more probability of serious illness such as altering the way our genes work, undermining immune responses, hormone levels, arteries and blood circulation, and influencing mental performance.

Is it really true that all these social networking websites are social facilitators or rather the opposite? To which extent they create more isolation of people, weakening the true meaning of “friends” and “networking”?

I agree, some of the claims in presented the research are right but there is always a limit to which something is harmful instead of useful. For example, if one starts communicating with close friends or neighbors by Facebook then there is an issue. It can be easy to become addicted to email dependence, chat, social networks and all these virtual spaces available today. However, as long as the use is limited to keep track of people you know around the world, or if you can manage to limit the amount of time spent online vs. time spent with your friends, then I don’t see anything harmful in the use of these social online spaces.

Isabella