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“Social support has been linked to lower blood pressure, and a diverse collection of contacts is associated with better immune system functioning.”
A story posted to Scientific American’s website today cites the research of a psychology professor at BYU that indicates a large and active social network is positively correlated with good health. The study did not specifically examine the effects of online social media, however the author of the study speculates that such connections probably help, but not as much as face-to-face interaction.
Yeah, I don't think that online communication could ever replace a hug or conversation with a good friend, but it's a good substitute for when the "real thing" isn't available.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely think that online communication is a good thing for you. You can stay in touch, reach out, keep up-to-date with family and friends, and feel like you matter :)
I do think that I may sometimes take it to the extreme, but I love having the ability to contact and connect!
Might be like comparing having a pet to having a pet rock or a tomagotchi.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the value of the online social support comes from converting some of the online relationships into face-to-face ones. Obviously, I can't do this in all cases (nor do I want to), but if I didn't do this at all, the value of the community would be diminished.