Social networking: helpful or harmful?

The ever-growing encroachment of online social networking and electronic media on people's everyday lives begs the question of what effect these virtual interactions are having on the mind and body.

According to a paper recently published in Biologist, the increasing displacement of face-to-face contact by time spent online can be associated with negative physiological changes.

"The rapid proliferation of electronic media is . now the most significant contributing factor to society's growing physical estrangement," Aric Sigman, the author of the paper, wrote.

With this increasing isolation, people are putting their health at risk when they devote greater amounts of their time to online activities instead of interacting with others in person, according to Sigman.

Sigman referenced the decade-old The Internet Paradox study by Robert Kraut that associated greater use of the Internet with declines in communication between family members in the house, declines in the size of their social circle, and increases in their levels of depression and loneliness.

However, Sigman's use of the study in his paper has come under some scrutiny since it does not take into account social-networking sites that are around today, like Facebook and Twitter.

While Penn students are quick to associate their time Twittering, Facebooking and browsing online with a decrease in their lack of productivity, few believe their health is being affected.

"On numerous occasions, I've had to change friends' passwords so that they don't go on Facebook during finals," said College sophomore Maryanne Mercede. College freshman Margot Neuburger had similar sentiments.

"A lot of my friends and I spend a lot of time on Facebook and it is often a big distraction from our work," she said.

However, she added that she hasn't noticed any negative effects of Facebook apart from "distracting you so you sleep less . but [even] that would be a real stretch," she said. "Too much homework has a negative effect on health."

Sigman has made it clear that he does not believe catching up with existing friends or staying in touch with people far away via social networking is bad. Instead, he merely believes that electronic media is creating a problem when it inhibits in-person interactions.

However, some believe that the online world can only enhance those interactions.

"The majority of people use Facebook and other sites as an extension of their social networking," College sophomore Rachael Durkin said.

Mercede agreed, saying, "Some of the most-social people I know are always on Facebook."

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