According to Oxford neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, allowing children to use social networking sites effectively re-wires their brains, causing a loss of real-world social skills, loss of the ability to concentrate, and in extreme cases, Attention Deficit Disorder. Greenfield even suggests that social networking sites can cause Autism, although she admits more studies need to be done before she can claim a causal link. Apparently Autistic children throughout the ages have been part of a secret underground society that have had access to sophisticated social networking technology (Soon to be Da Vinci Code III). What surprised me most is not what Greenfield mentions as effects of social network use, but what she leaves out.
Greenfield makes no mention of Schizophrenia, Anorexia, Manic Depression, Turrets Syndrome or Arachnophobia.This is the same type of scaremongering that has accompanied the advent of any new technology from the telegraph, to radio, to the television. Will increased availability and use of social networking sites have far reaching effects on may facets of society. Sure. Will it give you the ability to count cards, pepper "definitely" repeatedly throughout your sentences, and instill in you a compulsion to watch The People's Court on a daily basis? Probably not.
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Wow, just wow. What a terrible piece of journalism!
ReplyDelete"I'm not against technology and computers. But before they start social networking, they need to learn to make real relationships with people."
This does not compute. Social networking isn't making relationships? And it can be definitely said that children are substituting online relationships for real ones? And, this is the greatest mental leap of all, children are using social network sites before they create any real-world relationships?? That is entirely absurd and untrue.
I'm saddened that Susan Greenfield didn't make a video of her findings... Because, damn, I'd love to see the remixes that all us anti-socialites would cook up.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing this!