Social Networking Sites Linked to Brain Damage

Dr. Susan Greenfield, a neuroscientist from Oxford University, has claimed that continued use of social networking sites among children shortens attention spans, encourages instant gratification, and makes young people more self-centred. She likens the increasing ease of social interaction via the internet to the personalities of autistic individuals.

Although I can see how sites like Facebook with its constant stream of updates, new pictures, notes, and wall posts can shorten one's attention span, I would not think that permitted use of Facebook in moderation would lead to any kind of significant biological deficit. Additionally, one psychologist mentions that children should not be permitted to use computer games until about age 7. Personally, I don't find a problem with this as long as it is kept in moderation. Video games have been out for decades now, and I can remember playing my first video game around age 6 or so. Although these scientists are emphasizing the potential negative consequences of a society that increasingly relies on digital and computer-based system, that does not mean that there are other strategies being thought up to counter these "harmful effects."

For instance, although an increasing rate of people are playing video games, there are also companies out there creating educational video games. Increased use of such technology (video games, social networking sites) does not necessarily mean that future generations would be all be self-centered or socially inept. Like everything else, doing something in excess will mostly likely lead to negative consequences. However, I believe it is inevitable that society will continue to be hard-wired to think differently than older generations as new uses of technology come up. It's how we learn to adapt to survive and create the culture we live in.