The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 2 -

1. Introduction:
My topic is The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking. Social networking sites have some negative impacts upon our health. Though we usually ignore these impacts, but later on our body suffers serious problems due to negligence towards these effects. These minor occurrences become serious health problems with course of time. Based on the concept of connecting people globally (the idea that any two person on the planet could make contact through internet), social networking establishes interconnected internet community (sometimes known as personal networks) that help people make contacts with anyone from any corner of the globe, but that they would be unlikely to have met otherwise. But according to Dr. Sigman, They were actually playing a significant role in people becoming more isolated (2011, July 23). Researchers are suggesting that social networking sites might be bad for physical and mental health, especially in children. Experts are concerned children's online social interactions can 'rewire' the brain. Baroness Greenfield, an Oxford University neuroscientist and director of the Royal Institution, believes repeated exposure could effectively 'rewire' the brain. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centered. Now a days, young people spends hours, possibly all

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 3 - day, and much of the night networking on a computer, which is harming their body and brain in many ways.

According to psychologist Dr. Sigman, Emailing people rather than meeting up with them may have wide-ranging biological effects (2011, July 23). Decreased face-to-face interaction can make people more self centered. People are becoming lonelier and more depressed due to lack of human interaction. Most of the studies discussed looked at the effects of social isolation on health, with no reporting of whether isolation was caused by increased computer usage. According to the Daily Mail, using Facebook could raise your risk of cancer. The newspaper reported that social networking sites could raise your risk of serious health problems by reducing levels of face-to-face contact (2009, February 19). We are becoming more isolated from our family and relatives. We are becoming more dependent on electronic devices and gadgets and more inclined to spend our free time with people whom we barely know or care about with whom we share nothing but an electronic relationship. As a result, a communication gap is creating among the family members and relatives. These sites are drawing us away from people who are important in our life instead of pulling us together. Network science expert Steven Strogatz, PhD, expressed his worries about growing confusion between our weak ties (people who might be useful in referring us to a good dentist or helping us find a job) and our strong ties (those we're very close to). He said, "The distinction between genuine friends and

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 4 - acquaintances is becoming blurred. Users are spending time maintaining relationships with people they don't really care about" (2009, October). When using these sites becomes addiction, it is no less harmful than TV or gaming addiction. Young mind are exposed to censored articles, forums, pictures and videos through these sites. My research will contain the extent to which these sites can harm people and I expect my paper to be an eye opener to them.

2. Background:
Bangladesh is not a technologically developed country. But even here, users of social networking sites are increasing everyday. Too much usage of these sites has some long term effect upon our mental and physical health. Social networking websites are many today. This has been an integral part of each and every internet savvy person all over the world. . Its a new fashion and a revelation in todays world. It has become a lifestyle. But lately researchers found out that these social networks are taking the people in their captivity. Real interaction is decreasing day by day due to increasing use of social networking sites. An article features a graph showing that time spent in daily face-to-face social interaction has declined from about six hours in 1987 to about two to three hours in 2007. This decline is plotted next to results that report that time spent in electronic media use has increased from about four hours in 1987 to almost eight hours in 2007. These figures are reported to come from time use and demographic studies (2009, February 19).

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 5 - Besides this, the impact of these sites upon our physical and mental health is alarming. Number of insomnia and arthritis patients is increasing with the increase in number of users of these sites. Our eyes and nerves are the main sufferers of too much exposure to these sites. It reduces our ability to concentrate and it affects our educational and professional performances. Too much usage of these sites turns us into mechanical geeks and dependent on these gadgets for every single thing. Thus we lead ourselves towards social isolation which has severe genetic effects. Research at the UCLA School of Medicine report finds that social isolation can affect the level to which genes are active in white blood cells. People reporting high levels of social isolation had 78 genes that were more active and 131 genes that were less active than in people with low levels of social isolation (2009, February 19). This mechanical socialism is taking a heavy toll on our health. It increases the risk of high blood pressure, dementia, stroke etc. Too much networking is also one of the main reasons of back pain, eating disorder, weight gain etc. It is also responsible for poor body balance due to fewer movements of our body joints which can leads to osteoporosis (bone decay). We establish many online relationships through these sites. Sometimes it is good and gives us breathe of fresh air to know people of different kind from every corner of the world. It makes us excited to find lost friends and acquaintances and gives us a chance to keep in touch with them. "It can be exhilarating, at least at first, to connect with long-lost friends," says network science expert Steven Strogatz, PhD, a professor of

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 6 - applied mathematics at Cornell University (2009, October).But while we are finding our lost friends or making friends with people about whom we really dont care, we are drifting away from our family and relatives. These online relationships are hampering our personal relationships like marriage, children, family etc. With increasing use of electronic media, face-to-face interaction is decreasing rapidly. A 2003 study from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) is cited to support this statement. It says, Couples spend less time with each other and parents spend less time with their children than a decade ago (2009. February 19). The recent tragedy of Dhaka University teacher Rumana Manjur is the glowing example of the negative impact of these sites upon our personal life. The list of this kind of incidents is increasing. It creates a communication gap among family members; make people feel lonely and create doubt in relations. Cheated by fraud and commit suicide as a result, killing or torturing the spouse on the basis of doubt of disloyalty - these occurrences are happening more often that before. Dr Aric Sigman says websites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end up keeping people apart. He makes his warning in Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology. According to his suggestion, A lack of 'real' social networking, involving personal interaction, may have biological effects. Evidence suggests that a lack of faceto-face networking could alter the way genes work, upset immune responses, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and influence mental performance. It's probably an evolutionary mechanism that recognizes the benefits of us being together geographically.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 7 - Much of it isn't understood, but there does seem to be a difference between 'real presence' and the virtual variety (2011). Personal interaction is a complete different action that cannot be seen while we are interacting online. There is no way to hide the true reaction or make witty reply or show the right impulses where we are really socializing. We had to follow our true reaction and this cause to happen things that are natural, not thoughtfully directed. It enables to know about the person with whom we are being friends, his or her ability, common sense and skills. Body language is an important thing to judge a persons character. Electronic media is lowering our ability to read peoples body language. No less an authority on the brains workings than Susan Greenfield, a professor of pharmacology at Oxford University and the director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, told a British newspaper on Tuesday that social networking sites remind her of the way that small babies need constant reassurance that they exist and make her worry about the effects that this sort of stimulation is having on the brains of users. Lady Greenfield (shes a neuroscientist and a baroness) told the Daily Mail: My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment (2009, February 24). These statements support her earlier comments about harmful effects of networking and computer games on children. In a debate in the House of Lords, she said, If the young brain is exposed from the outset to a world of fast action and reaction, of instant

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 8 - new screen images flashing up with the press of a key, such rapid interchange might accustom the brain to operate over such timescales (2009).

3. Research Questions (Areas of Research):

I intend to explore the adverse effects of social networking on our health and how much it causes sufferings to peoples health. Moreover I wish to investigate how much it hampers our professional and personal lives. I have studied some areas explaining demerits of excessive social networking as a research, which I think will be helpful for the people to get acquainted with the problem and take action to solve it. There are five questions that I have explored specifically:-

Question no 1:What is social networking? I have chosen 22 people to perform a survey about what they think what is social networking. All of them were young people (students) whose age range was between 1825 years. Among them I have found out that 10 of them think it is a medium of international communication, 8 of them consider it as a source of finding lost people and make new friends and 4 of them consider it just as a time passing element. So, I think most people use it for international connections and to find and keep in touch with long lost friends.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 9 -

Question no 2:What impact has it upon people? In my survey I found out that nearly 43% students think that these sites has little or no effects whereas 24% people think that it shortens time they spend with their family. Another 24% think that people has become more self centered, when 13% of the students say that it increases communication gap in family and 4% students are saying about being cheated by frauds.

Question no 3:How much are these sites affecting people physically? My survey is saying that most of the students think that due to excess networking our eyes and brain are being affected most. Insomnia is considered the main disease that is caused by too much usage of social networking sites. A considerable percentage thinks that networking is also responsible for weight gain, poor balance and osteoporosis (bone decay).

Question no 4:How much are these sites affecting people mentally?

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 01 - Most of the students of the survey think these sites has made them too preoccupied to notice what is happening around them and keep hem away from the real world. It shows that these sites are keeping them away from knowing the current affairs of the world. Some think that being cheated by frauds left them mentally shattered.

Question no 5:How these sites can hamper peoples professional and educational life? According to my survey results 43% of students think they become too tired too concentrate on their work by chatting and sitting up late or all night, another 43% of students say that they cannot complete their tasks at given time due to spending too much time on these sites. 19% students think they are depriving themselves from gathering general knowledge from other sources and 4% students think that their work standard is deteriorating.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 11 -

4. Hypothesis:
Social networking sites might be bad for physical and mental health, especially for children. From my research, I hope to find that people are realizing these things and using these sites to a rational extent. Sometimes these sites contain some articles, pictures and other contents that are not suitable for underage persons and it may violate their thoughts. I expect to find that the parents know about this and they are being careful with their underage children when it comes to social networking. I also think that people will realize that it is driving them away from their near ones, hampering their respective careers, and health and they reduce their usage of these sites.

5. Methodology:
To find information about impacts of social networking upon our health I have incorporated two methods to collect data. Primary Data Collection Secondary Data Collection

In primary data collection I have done a survey on 21 people, all of them were students and their age limit was 19 25 years. These groups (teenagers and young adults) are the biggest users of social networking sites and as they are educated enough to understand my topic I choose to do the survey with them.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 21 - In secondary data collection I have mainly gone through some internet searching, like http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1153583/Social-websites-harm-childrensbrains-Chilling-warning-parents-neuroscientist.html etc. I also used other articles found from the internet.

6. Data Presentation and Analysis:

Data Survey Result:
Question no 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sample Size-21 respondents and in percentage (%) Options a b c d 47.60% 38.10% 0% 19.10% 57.10% 19.10% 14.30% 4.76% 95.20% 0% 0% 4.76% 23.81% 42.86% 23.81% 14.29% 28.57% 38.10% 14.29% 28.57% 66.67% 23.81% 0% 28.57% 33.30% 28.60% 38.10% 9.52% 9.52% 66.70% 19.04% 9.52% 23.80% 4.76% 66.70% 9.52% 42.90% 19.05% 42.90% 4.76%

e N/A 4.76% N/A 4.76% N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Data Analysis: 1. What is your definition of social networking sites?

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 31 -

o a medium of communication with the whole world o finding lost friends and making new acquaintances o knowing about international celebrities and get a chance to befriend with
them

o just a pastime element

definition of social networking

60.00%
response

40.00% 20.00% 0.00%

47.60%

38.10% findning lost friends and making new acquaintances

medium of international communication

19.10% 0% knowing about int. just a passtime celebrities and element befriend with them

This graph shows what todays generation thinks about social networking. 47.60% people think these sites are medium of international communication, 38.10% people consider these sites as a medium of finding lost friends and making new acquaintances and rest of them think it is just a medium of time passing. So I have come to the conclusion that people mostly use it to make international friendship and relationship and to find lost friends.

2. How often one visits these sites?

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 41 -

o almost everyday o once in a week o every few weeks o once in a month o practically never

often one visits these sites

19.10%

14.30% 4.76% every few weeks once in a m onth 4.76% practically never

a week

This column chart shows how frequently one uses these sites. 57.10% people say they visit these sites daily (this supports my hypothesis). 19.10% say they visit these sites on weekly basis. 14.30% people say they visit these sites every few weeks. 4.76% say the visit these sites once in a month. Rest of the 4.76% students say the never visit these sites. So my opinion is people are getting more and more addicted to social networking site and it becomes a necessary to visit these sites regularly for most of them.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 51 -

3. On an average how much time do you spend at these sites? o 1-3 hours o 4-5 hours o 5-6 hours o countless hours
spending time on average
1-3 hours 5% 4-50% hours 0% 5-6 hours countless hours

95%

This pie chart shows on average how much time people spend visiting these sites. 95% students of the survey group say that they spend at least 1 -3 hours. Rest of them thinks they cannot keep track of time when they sit for online networking. I think people waste their valuable time on networking. They spend a lot more time on networking and chatting that they should have.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 61 -

4. How much is it affecting our day to day life? o it shortens the time one spends with family o doesnt change much o People has become more self-centered o Communication gap among family members increases o People get cheated by frauds frequently
impact on our day to day life

45.00% 40.00% 35.00% 30.00% 25.00% 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 5.00% 0.00% shorten tim one e spends w ith fam ily 23.81%

42.86%

response

23.81% 14.29% 4.76%

doesn't change m uch

people has becom e m self-centered ore

com unication gap in m fam increases ily

cheated by frauds frequently

This cone chart shows what the impact of social networking sites in our life. 42.86% of total students believe that it doesnt change their life much. However, rest of the students (which is 57.14%) feels that these sites hamper their family life and mental peace in one way or another. 23.81% students think it shortens the time they spend with their family, another 23.81% think that they are becoming more self-centered, 14.29% students say that communication gap is increasing in family. 4.76% students believe that they loose their mental peace by being cheated by frauds.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 71 - Judging by the graph, I think people have started to realize the negative side of excessive networking, though the realization process is slow.

5. What is the best thing about these sites? o Being friends with people from every corner of the world o Finding lost friends o Knowing everyones whereabouts (including favorite celebrities) o Getting useful information while chatting with friends
best things about these sites

Getting useful inform ation while chatting w ith friends knowing everyones (celebrities also)whereabouts Finding lost friends having friends fromevery corner of the w orld 0.00%

28.57% 14.29% 38.10% 28.57%

5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00%

response

This cone chart shows what the best feature of these sites is. Finding lost friends is considered the best thing about social networking. 38.10% of total students think in this way, whereas 28.57% students consider having international friends is the best feature of these sites. Getting useful information while chatting is considered the best thing by 28.57% of total students. 14.29% students think that being able to know about their favorite celebritys latest news is the best thing.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 81 - Though people initially liked these sites for finding lost friends option, their demand are changing and becoming meaningless in many cases.

6. Which organ of human body get affected most by continuous use of these sites? o Eyes o Brain (nerves) o Hands o Backbone
most affected organ of human body
eyes 24% brain (nerv es) hands backbone

0% 56% 20%

This pie chart shows which organ of human gets mostly affected by too much networking. 56% of total students think their eyes suffer most due to excessive use of social networking sites (supports my hypothesis). 24% students think their backbone is the most

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 91 - suffering organ in this process. 20% students think their brain is being harmed by too much networking; especially their nerves. I can say that too much exposure of our eyes to these sites are really harmful for our vital organs like backbone, eyes, brain and it can be disastrous in the long run.

7. What are the normal disorders that our body suffers due to constant uses of
social networking sites?

o gaining weights by consuming foods rich in fat, sugar and calories o poor balance due to less or no movement o back pain o eating disorder
normal body disorders due to excess netwrking

50.00% response 0.00%

33.30% 28.60% 38.10% 9.52% poor balance back pain eating disorder

gaining weights

gaining weights Series1 33.30%

poor balance 28.60%

back pain 38.10%

eating disorder 9.52%

This cone chart shows the normal disorders that our body suffers due to constant uses of social networking sites.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 02 - According to the students, back pain is the most common disorder that occurs due to constant networking. 38.10% students say that (agreeing with my hypothesis). 33.30% students are worried about the weight they gain by sitting constantly while networking. 28.60% students think their limbs become rigid and they loose balance over their body. 9.52% students think it can be a cause of eating disorder. Students are more or less aware of the drawbacks of too much networking, though they are not going to give it up anytime soon.

8. Which of these serious diseases is most likely to attack us for inefficient

movement for our body due to continuous browsing of social networking sites?

o Arthritis o Insomnia o Osteoporosis (bone decay) o Parkinsons Dementia (degenerative disorder of the brain)
serious diseases caused by inefficient movement
Arthritis Insom nia Osteoporosis (bone decay) Parkinsons Dem entia (degenerative disorder of the brain)

9% 18%

9%

64%

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 12 - This pie chart shows what serious disease is most likely to attack us for inefficient movement for our body due to sitting continuously at one position while browsing of social networking sites. 64% students think insomnia is the one disease that is most like to attack them (matching with my hypothesis). 18% of them think it is osteoporosis, 9% students think it is arthritis, another 9% students think it is Parkinsons dementia. I think more people are becoming victim of insomnia and osteoporosis with the passing time.

9. How it is affecting our mentality? o We are getting self-centered o We feel shattered when we get cheated by frauds o We are too busy at networking that we cant notice what is happening
around us

o It is not affecting our mentality at all

affect on our m entality
80.00%

66.70%

response

60.00% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% getting self-centered Series1 23.80%

23.80% 4.76%
We feel shattered w hen get cheated by frauds 4.76% too preoccupied w ith networking to notice 66.70%

9.52%
not affecting at all 9.52%

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 22 - This column chart is showing how social networking sites are affecting our mentality. 66.70% students think these sites are making them too preoccupied with networking that they fail to notice what is happening around them. 23.80% students think they are getting self-centered whereas 9.52% of total students think their life is not getting affected at all. 4.76% think that they feel shattered when they get cheated by frauds. I think now people will understand what the networking is doing to them and will be careful while using them.

10. How it is affecting our professional and educational life? o we become tired by overnight chatting and cant concentrate to our works
and studies

o deprives us of acquiring knowledge from other important sites o unable to complete our works and tasks at given time because of lack of
concentration and professional and educational life drowsiness affect on

o lowering our standard of works and thus decreasing our position

deteriorating standard of w orks and thus loosing goodw ill

4.76%

unable to com plete w orks and tasks at given tim e

42.90%

deprives of acquiring know ledge fromother im portant sites

19.05%

becom tired by overnight e chatting and cant concentrate

42.90%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

Response

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking - 32 -

This bar chart shows how these sites are affecting our professional and educational life. 42.90% students complain that they are unable to finish their works at given time and another 42.90% students say that they can not concentrate on their work because they become tired by chatting and sitting up late at night (sometimes chatting whole night). This make them feel sleepy. 19.05% think these sites deprive them from acquiring knowledge from other sites and other sources and 4.76% students think their working standard is deteriorating. I think this survey shows us how harmful these sites are, even in our professional and educational life.

7. Summary of Research Findings:

While doing this research, I find that todays generation is considering these sites as a medium of setting up international connections. They are too interested to make overseas friends. They also consider this a way of finding lost friends.

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 42 - They use these sites much more frequently than is necessary for them. On average, most students spend 1-3 hours on these sites on a daily basis. They are spending their valuable time by chatting and networking. A large portion of these students think that their life is not being much affected by excessive networking. But still majority of these students think that social networking sites do have a negative impact on their life in one way or another. Students think that the best part of these sites is finding lost friends, though this notion is changing with changing demand of the users. They have started to expect more versatile features from these sites. So, the purpose of networking is changing and in most cases it is becoming meaningless and dangerous in some cases. Students have started to realize that their vital body organs are being affected by excessive use of networking sites. Most students agree that their eyes and backbone are the biggest sufferers of networking. Back pain, gaining weight and deteriorating body balance are the disorders that they are suffering or they think that people suffer most. They think that number of insomnia and osteoporosis (bone decay) are increasing due to continuous browsing of social networking and inefficient body movements.

These sites are affecting our educational and professional life, as well as our mentality. These sites are hampering our study and profession in many ways. Most students fail to submit their tasks and assignments at given time because they spend their study time on networking. This not only wastes their time but also make them tired. Their eyes and brain get tired due to exposure to the electronic gadgets. They can not concentrate on their work. Overnight chatting and browsing make people feel tired and

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 52 - drowsy and they can not attend their class or workplace with full concentration. This lowers their standard of performance and cost their goodwill. We become too preoccupied with networking when we are using these sites that we pay little or no attention to our surroundings and what is happening there. We are getting self-centered and aloof from our family and relative and from people who are really important to us.

8. Recommendation:
While doing the survey I felt that people are much affected by these sites, especially teenagers and students. I think that as these sites are used by educated people, we can make them understand about the different negative impacts of these sites with little effort. So I suggest that we should start considering these negative impacts seriously. Parents should be careful about which sites their children are visiting, with whom they are being friends, whether their fascination for these sites is turning to an addiction or not, how much they are spending regularly on these sites etc. Teenagers and young adults should

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 62 - keep in mind that not all their online friends are real friends. They can be trapped by cheaters and frauds whose intentions is something grave, which they are hiding behind this so-called friendship. They can harm their social reputation. They also take care to the fact that their important body parts such as eyes, brain etc. and their career are more important than their online friends.

9. Conclusion:
My hypothesis was social networking sites can have different impacts (mainly negative) on how much people use these sites. Through my survey and secondary research I was able to show that these sites have hidden negative effects on our lives. People are not realizing it clearly now, they have started to take notice of the dark sides of these sites. People are just not ready yet to accept the fact that these social networking sites are not unmixed blessings. In true sense, these sites are more hazardous that its worth. Sir Alex Ferguson (manager Manchester United Football Club) says that he cant fathom the importance of twitter. He says, I

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 72 - don't understand it, to be honest with you. I don't have the time to do it. There are a million things you can do with your life other than that. Go to a library and read a book. I'm serious. What a waste of time (2011, May 20). People must use these sites sensibly and be careful when they are making friends with new people, who are strangers most of the time. They are confusing our weak and strong ties. They should also prevent too much exposure of their eyes and nerves to computers and other gadgets. I hope people start noticing these things and reduce the use of these sites soon.

10. References:
1. How using Facebook could raise your risk of cancer. (2011). Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1149207/How-using-Facebookraise-risk-cancer.html 2. Online networking 'harms health'. (2011). Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://news. bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7898510.stm 3. Mackey, R. (2009, February 24). Is Social Networking Killing You? The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/issocial-networking-killing-you/ 4. Jarvis, T. (2009, October). Social Not-Working: The Perils of Too Much

The Negative Health Effects of Social Networking 82 - Communication. O, The Oprah Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://www. oprah.com/relationships/Negative-Impact-of-Social-Networking-Websites-at-Work// 5. Face book 'cancer risk'. (2009, February 19). Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http:// www.nhs.uk/news/2009/02February/Pages/Facebookhealthstudy.aspx

6. Derbyshire, D. (2009, February 24). Social websites harm children's brains: Chilling
warning to parents from top neuroscientist. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http:// www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1153583/Social-websites-harm-childrens-brainsChilling-warning-parents-neuroscientist.html 7. Twitter is 'a waste of time'. (2011, May 20). The Telegraph. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8525859/ Twitter-is-a-waste-of-time-says-Manchester-United-manager-Sir-Alex-Ferguson.html