| The rise in popularity of social networking websites | | | | would not have otherwise known if not for such easy |
| such as MySpace and Facebook has been | | | | access. |
| impressive. Even though originally popular with mostly | | | | This problem partially arises out of the fact our |
| adolescents, sites such as Facebook have enjoyed | | | | psychological coping skills are based on the "old" way |
| increasing popularity with adults as well. Although there | | | | of doing things- using the telephone. In the past, if we |
| are a number of benefits to such sites, there are | | | | broke off a relationship, we just did not speak to the |
| some un-discussed psychological impacts that people | | | | person because we cut off telephone communication, |
| should be aware of. | | | | and unless we heard news about them "through the |
| First, a quick review of why Facebook and MySpace | | | | grapevine" we were not constantly exposed to their |
| are beneficial. Humans are social creatures, and the | | | | lives. |
| need to connect with others is of utmost importance. | | | | With the evolution of Facebook (or MySpace), we can |
| Thanks to technology, we enjoy the ease of | | | | still have access to that person's life. Even if they |
| communication through cell phones, text messages, | | | | make their profile "private", we can keep track of them |
| and the internet. So being able to connect with others, | | | | by looking at the profiles of common friends. In other |
| especially being able to find people with whom we | | | | words, we have never before had to deal with the |
| might have lost touch, is very appealing. These sites | | | | continual access to someone that has caused us |
| allow us to share various aspects of our lives with | | | | some version of emotional pain (no matter if it is due |
| others. This can include pictures, our favorite music, or | | | | to a break up or a hurtful action). In fact, we can |
| anything else that allows us to express who we are | | | | watch their lives without them knowing it! |
| and what make us happy. It is a great way to express | | | | What does this mean? It means that we need to be |
| ourselves and our identity. We can also learn a lot | | | | better monitors of our own behaviors. Just because |
| from others and what they have on their sites. | | | | we can get information about someone who hurt us |
| However, based on my experience in with clients, I | | | | or someone who we want to be close with but who |
| believe there are some negative psychological effects | | | | does not reciprocate, it does not mean that we should. |
| of such sites. This is because the very aspects that | | | | Through these sites, we are able to engage in |
| makes them appealing, i.e. the ease with which we can | | | | behavior that is not natural to human relationships- |
| access and contact others, can also set the stage for | | | | continuing contact in situations where it should be |
| us to engage in unhealthy behavior such as | | | | allowed to naturally end. So I encourage all users of |
| obsessively checking up on others. It is easy to get | | | | such sites to keep in mind that some self-discipline is |
| caught up in monitoring others, and we often get more | | | | required at times! |
| information than we bargained for- information that we | | | | |