Teens and Facebook How Social Networking Sites Can Harm and Help Young People Everyone is fond

d of using Facebook to reconnect with old friends and stuff but according to the latest study of the American Psychological Association, the social networking site can do more harm than good to teenagers. The findings, which were presented over the weekend at the American Psychological Association convention, laid out how social networking sites can both harm and help teens. Among the adverse effects: Teens who are heavy gamers or Facebook users have more trouble sleeping, higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stomach aches. Young adults and teens who spend their days inside Facebook are more narcissistic and show more signs of other psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania, and aggressive tendencies. Students who use more technology are likely to miss more school. The more teens and adults use Facebook, the more likely they are to also use alcohol. Students from junior high through college age were observed to generally check social networks or text messages every few minutes while studying, leading to lower test performance than students who focus for longer periods of time. The average teen sends 2000 texts per month, which can lead to problems communicating with family and even carpal tunnel syndrome in a few cases. However, a few positive byproducts of social networking includes the surprising notion that young people can learn virtual empathy that can even carry ever to the real world. It is also a helpful tool for introvert students to communicate and connect with other kids. And most importantly, Facebook has been used successfully as a teaching tool. The convention emphasized to parents to keep their kids Facebook time safe and healthy and that the ratio of parent listen to parent talk should be at least five-to-one.

August 6, 2011 Social Networkings Good and Bad Impacts on Kids Psychologists explore myths, realities and offer guidance for parents WASHINGTONSocial media present risks and benefits to children but parents who try to secretly monitor their kids activities online are wasting their time, according to a presentation at the 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. While nobody can deny that Facebook has altered the landscape of social interaction, particularly among young people, we are just now starting to see solid psychological research demonstrating both the positives and the negatives, said Larry D. Rosen, PhD, professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

In a plenary talk entitled, Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids, Rosen discussed potential adverse effects, including: Teens who use Facebook more often show more narcissistic tendencies while young adults who have a strong Facebook presence show more signs of other psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies. Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems. Facebook can be distracting and can negatively impact learning. Studies found that middle school, high school and college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15minute study period achieved lower grades. Rosen said new research has also found positive influences linked to social networking, including: Young adults who spend more time on Facebook are better at showing virtual empathy to their online friends. Online social networking can help introverted adolescents learn how to socialize behind the safety of various screens, ranging from a two-inch smartphone to a 17-inch laptop. Social networking can provide tools for teaching in compelling ways that engage young students.

For parents, Rosen offered guidance. If you feel that you have to use some sort of computer program to surreptitiously monitor your child's social networking, you are wasting your time. Your child will find a workaround in a matter of minutes, he said. You have to start talking about appropriate technology use early and often and build trust, so that when there is a problem, whether it is being bullied or seeing a disturbing image, your child will talk to you about it. He encouraged parents to assess their childs activities on social networking sites, and discuss removing inappropriate content or connections to people who appear problematic. Parents also need to pay attention to the online trends and the latest technologies, websites and applications children are using, he said. Communication is the crux of parenting. You need to talk to your kids, or rather, listen to them, Rosen said. The ratio of parent listen to parent talk should be at least five-to-one. Talk one minute and listen for five. Plenary Session: 3378, 4:00 - 4:50 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 6, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Street Level, Room 147 B. Presentation: Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids" Larry D. Rosen, PhD, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Dr. Larry Rosen can be contacted at (714) 624-4333 (cell) or by

email

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 154,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

Social networks: Risky for some teens

Posted: 03/29/2011 Roughly three-quarters of teenagers use social networking sites, such as Facebook. In fact, many log on multiple times each day. While much good can come from connecting with family and friends online, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics warns it can also harm "at-risk" kids. Chances are, your teenager is on Facebook checking on their friends, status updates, and who is in a new relationship Helen Warren and her friends admit to spending a lot of their time on online. "Everyone is always on Facebook!" Helen said. She and her friend Rob know there are emotional ups and downs to staying connected. "It can be kind of a letdown if you go on and no one cares about you," Rob said. "The things people do on Facebook could definitely hurt you or change your mood." "You're opening it up to everybody kind of being able to see what you're doing and hurt you," Helen warned. It's exactly that sentiment that led the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue a set of guidelines for doctors to deal with the psychological impact of social media on teens. The report emphasizes that the virtual world can have a very real impact on the self esteem of a teenager because "a large part of this generation's social and emotional development is occurring while on the internet". For any teenager prone to depression, social media can make things worse. "We're not talking about your typical moody teenager," said Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe with the American Academy of Pediatrics. "These are kids who already have some tendency towards depression or anxiety - who spend time online with Facebook and it sort of augments their symptoms."

Despite its goal to connect, the report indicates social media can instead isolate some teens and provide a forum for bullying. In fact, over one-third of teens admit to making fun of classmates online. Helen's mom, Kerry Foley, can see how Facebook might be harmful. "If you were a kid who was subjected to bullying, or somehow marginalized at all, you could really feel excluded," she said. Dr. O'Keeffe had this suggestion for parents: "The best way of viewing the online world is as part of our world, not as a separate entity. While we are busy teaching them sports and music, we have to focus equally as much on technology so they understand the idiosyncrasies of using Facebook." Written by Tamron Hall, NBC News.