Psychologist: Too much Facebook use may be Harmful for Kids

WASHINGTON — Facebook can turn kids into narcissists and lead to health complications, a California psychologist said in Washington on Saturday.

Larry Rosen, a psychologist at Cal State Dominguez Hills, presented a conference paper on the potential harm the hugely popular social networking site can have on children, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Rosen, who has been studying the effects of technology on people for more than two decades, said that teens who use technologies, like video games and the internet, were more likely to have stomach aches, sleeping problems, anxiety and depression.

Those who used Facebook often were likely to be more narcissistic, because the networking tool gave them the ability to publish information about themselves whenever they wanted.

Some people believe that Facebook can also make adults feel depressed, but the updated American Academy of Paediatrics social media guidelines points out that practitioners should look at whether teenagers who use the social network obsessively show signs of anxiety.

Although doctors disagree about whether Facebook simply allows for teenagers’ natural propensity to depression to continue online, or whether Facebook creates new anxieties, O’Keefe seems to be of the opinion that the social network might be harmful to kids already dealing with signs of depression.

Just like Stanford psychologist Alex Jordan wrote in his own article, “Misery Has More Company Than People Think,” O’Keefe also points out that Facebook’s status updates, photos, and friend lists are some of the features that naturally make some teens want to boast about their happy, accomplished, fun lives, while others –– those prone to be lonelier or more depressed –– sit and watch. The contrast can make the latter group of kids feel like they don’t measure up, according to O’Keefe.

Among all Facebook users, young and old, Rosen said the more people used the website, the more likely they were to develop other problems, including antisocial personality disorder, paranoia, anxiety and alcohol use.