Every minute spent using Facebook, MySpace or Twitter instead of interacting with real people could eventually lead to major health risks, according to psychologist Aric Sigman.
In the February issue of Biologist, the Institute of Biology’s peer-reviewed journal, Sigman claimed that too much time online could make people feel isolated and lonely, which may lead to a more morbid outlook on life. These psychological issues could eventually lead to serious physical illnesses, including dementia, heart disease and cancer, according to Sigman’s report.
“Time that was previously spent interacting socially has increasingly been displaced by the virtual variety,” Sigman said in his article. “While the precise mechanisms underlying the association between social connection, morbidity and morality continue to be investigated, it is clear that this is a growing public health issue for all industrialized countries.”
Andrew Dillon, dean of UT’s School of Information and an Internet psychology expert, said Sigman’s claims should be treated with a high degree of skepticism.
“Since the invention of the first tool, some people have predicted dire human consequences,” Dillon said. “I guess now it’s social-networking sites that will kill us.”
It might not be accurate to assume that spending extended amounts of time online leads to loneliness, Dillon said. In his article, Sigman did not prove that there is causation between excessive Internet usage and loneliness.
“It’s not likely causal,” he said. “As far as we can tell, [the relationship is] more likely correlational in that lonely people might spend a lot more time online.”
Though it’s common for users to have “friend” counts in the triple digits on social-networking sites, Dillon said this number does not necessarily correspond to how popular a person is in real life.
“The process of using these sites encourages the identification and listing of ‘friends.’” Dillon said. “But that term in social-networking sites has a particular meaning that differs from the term’s use in offline friendships.”
Radio-television-film freshman Kathryn Morrissey said she uses Facebook primarily as a way to set up meeting places with her friends.
“It’s a good way to get a bunch of people together since most of them are usually online anyway,” Morrissey said.
Accounting sophomore Cristina Alonzo said she created a Facebook account about a year and a half ago and said she usually has Facebook open anywhere between six and seven hours a day.
“I don’t think it interferes with the amount of time I spend with my friends,” Alonzo said. “I haven’t noticed any health changes, but sometimes my eyes get watery from staring at the screen for too long.”
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