Facebook Can Be Good For You
Facebook can get a lot of bad press in terms of being addictive and a time-waster. However, recent research suggests that using Facebook can be very good for your health. If you love keeping in touch with others on facebook, you will see this as good news. Facebook is good for your health – not just in terms of giving you a means to stay in daily contact with others but it also keeps us more alert. Apparently, it is more complex that it looks and as our facebook timelines are constantly being updated with new information, our brains work to filter it, store old information for reference and we understand how to process it all.
Research was carried out on three groups of people. One group used facebook every day and interacted with others in the group too. A second group created online diaries (similar to facebook updates) but had no interaction with others. A third group did not use any social media platforms. Various tests were carried out before and after and the results showed that the facebook-users were more adept and quicker with mental tasks.
It backs up the ‘use it or lose it’ hypothesis in that those who are mentally stimulated with new information and processes (just in the way Facebook provides it) are staying mentally active. Given that social interaction (online or offline) can make us feel more positive, less lonely, more loved, the social integration of Facebook provides us with these facilities too.
One in three older people use facebook regularly, mostly to keep in touch with children and friends living a distance from home. More are using it as a source of information now too, such as liking various informational and business pages or joining groups. It does come with a word of caution too, it is important that everyone using it is aware of how to set their privacy settings and keep their own information secure. Education is the key to getting the most benefit.
Do you know older people who are using facebook on a daily basis and benefiting as a result? Do you use it?
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Photo credit: One Happy Familly via photopin(license)
