Using the Social Media?

I'm sure a large portion of internet users use a Facebook, Twitter or Skype. These are what we call social media. Mostly anyone can give a list or even an essay of the great advantages of using the social media (especially facebook). So, here, I am going to highlight the drawbacks of using them. Not that I fully disagree on its use. Just to give a heads up and something to ponder.

Here's an article about a research done regarding social media usage:
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December 13, 2010

A recent study says that a five-day blackout of social media at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology helped reduce student stress levels and allowed them to focus on their studies more.

The campus blackout, which was widely reported in September, blocked access to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The survey found that as a result of the exercise, one-quarter of students said they could concentrate in classes better, and 23 percent said they found lectures more interesting. One-third of students said they were less stressed, and several professors said their students understood concepts better through conversation with faculty than after trying to grasp it using social media.

"The results suggest that a healthier, more productive lifestyle was practiced by a significant portion of the students during the blackout," said the study, which was quoted by Reuters.

Moreover, six percent of students said that during the week without social media, they ate better and exercised more. About one-fifth said that they used the time usually spent on Facebook to do homework, while 10 percent used that time to read online news. And forty-four percent of students and 76 percent of professors said that they learned something from the blackout, such as the advantages and disadvantages of Facebook and the importance of face-to-face conversation.

One student, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education, told the university's provost, Eric Darr, "that he had to actually talk to his professor during the blackout."

Many students who at first resented the blackout later changed their minds. On the first day of the exercise, 5 percent strongly disapproved of it, 32 percent disapproved, 40 percent were neutral, and only 23 percent of students approved. But a week later, the students' feelings changed: Sixteen percent still disapproved, 42 percent were neutral, and 42 percent approved.

"Even though people initially were angry...even the most cranky student had to admit some good came out of it," Darr told the Associated Press.
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This article was taken from the website, www.braintrack.com. My heartfelt gratitude to them!

Here are links to more coverage about the news:
chronicle.com
www.bankinfosecurity.com

And here's another research done about the relationship between the usage of Facebook and exam results:
www.dailymail.co.uk

So, be careful of getting addicted to facebook and the like or spending too much time on it. It might affect your study and your life. Live life to the max~