Study: Facebook overuse may lead to psychological disorders in teens
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Poking the narcissist within?
A new study claims that excessive use of Facebook by teenagers could lead to the development of narcissism, anti-social tendencies, and other psychological disorders. Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, presented his findings on the side effects of Facebook overdosing at the 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.
In a lecture titled “Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids,” Rosen detailed the negative psychological consequences of spending too much time on social networking sites.
The negative side effects Rosen detailed include:
- Development of narcissism
- Antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies
- Stomach aches, sleeping problems, anxiety and depression
- Increased absences from school
While the study may cause panic in the parents of teens, it’s worth noting that not all the findings were negative. Rosen found that excessive use of social networking sites increased “virtual empathy” as teens expressed support to Facebook friends in distress.
Full story at Mashable.
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