[Report] Teens Who Use Facebook Often Turn Anti-Social

While social networking as a whole has transformed how we communicate with each other, on the flip side it has presented us with fair amount of challenges and risks to tackle. More so, when the target audience happens to be teenagers.

Larry D. Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills recently presented his findings at the American Psychological Association meeting.  He argues that Facebook has done more bad than good for the teenagers. His negative findings include:

• Teens who use Facebook more often show more narcissistic tendencies while young adults who have a strong Facebook presence show more signs of other psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies.
• Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems.
• Facebook can be distracting and can negatively impact learning. Studies found that middle school, high school and college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period achieved lower grades.

While negatives overshadow the positives, he sees certain benefits of being on Facebook. While teens turn anti-social in real life, on online though, they appear to show “virtual empathy” to their friends. And if a child is an introvert, Facebook helps him/her socialize behind the safety of computer screens. He also finds that social networking can provide tools for teaching in compelling ways that engage young students.

In another finding, he advises parents not to monitor their child’s online activities. “If you feel that you have to use some sort of computer program to surreptitiously monitor your child’s social networking, you are wasting your time. Your child will find a workaround in a matter of minutes,” he says. Rather, he suggests parents to assess their child’s activities on social networking sites, and discuss removing inappropriate content or connections to people who appear problematic.

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