Emails of isolation, ill health
Social networking sites such as Facebook could raise your risk of serious health problems by reducing levels of face-to-face contact, a doctor claims.
Emailing people rather than meeting up with them may have wide-ranging biological effects.
Increased isolation could alter the way genes work and upset immune responses, hormone levels and the function of arteries. It could also impair mental performance.
This could increase the risk of problems as serious as cancer, strokes, heart disease and dementia.
Social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook allow people to keep in touch with friends over the web.
But even though they are designed to bring people together, psychologist Sigman says they are playing a significant role in people becoming more isolated.
Research suggests the number of hours people spend speaking to others face-to-face has fallen dramatically since 1987 as the use of electronic media has increased.
“Interacting in person” has effects on the body not seen when writing emails.
Levels of hormones such as the “cuddle chemical” oxytocin, which promotes bonding, altered according to whether people were in close contact or not.
“Social networking sites should allow us to embellish our social lives, but what we find is very different. These are not tools that enhance, they are tools that displace,” said Dr Sigman.
