While we all know there are many benefits and positive outcomes
resulting from being socially connected, one new study shows
that too much of a good thing, is bad for teens. A new study
warns that excessive use of social media -- specifically,
"hypertexting" (sending more than 120 messages per school day)
and "hypernetworking" (spending more than three hours per day on
sites like Facebook) -- is linked to dangerous health problems
and antisocial behavior in teens. These teens are more likely to
develop including smoking, risky sex, depression, eating
disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, fighting, becoming cyber
victims, thinking about suicide and absenteeism. Lead researcher
Dr. Scott Frink notes that this is a wake up call for parents to
more closely monitor their teens' use of social media,
especially as most of the teens in the study found to be
excessive social media users, rated their parents as permissive.
Read more about the study and its findings here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/health/research/1