Forgive me father for I have sinned. I have joined the despised group of technological addicts who can go nowhere and do nothing without the company of their smart phone. I really don't know how it all happened. Not so very long ago, I had a dumbphone. Facebook was something that I would check on an actual computer at the end of the day to see what my friends had been up to. Suddenly, I find myself thrilled to see the "New Stories" graphic flash across the top of my iphone screen. What wonderful update could my network of friends have for me that wasn't available 13 minutes ago? A funny link? Another low quality picture of someone else's kid complete with their assertion that he/she is the cutest kid ever? Or a request for me to unfriend you? (By that I mean an invitation to play Candy Crush Saga. I will unfriend you. Seriously.) Facebook is sort of like a car accident. Appauling or not, passersby can't help but stop and stare. Twitter is the same accident only with a traffic cop urging everyone, "Move along, only 140 characters, nothing to see here."
The senior population is among the fastest growing demographics on social media. During the summer months, I teach "Facebook for Non-Teenagers" classes at the local senior centers. I thought I was offering a public service but according to new research I could potentially be opening a window of despair. A study conducted jointly by two German Universities found that facebook can cause envy and trigger feelings of loneliness and depression. "The researchers found that one in three people felt worse after visiting the site and more dissatisfied with their lives, while people who browsed without contributing were affected the most." If the conclusions of the research are accurate then people who have nothing to contribute should stay off of facebook for their own good.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/facebook-study-envy_n_2526549.html
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