Source A

Author : Rebecca Sweeny
Title of article : Social Networking Sites: More Harm Than Good?
Published date : 27 April 2012
Retrieved date : 23 May 2013
Website URL : http://netwokconference.netstudies.org/2011/04/social-networking-sites- more-harm-than-good

A social networking site can be defined as an online service that is based around the building and reflecting of social relations among individuals with common interests or social ties. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Linkedin share some key features, which is they enable users to create a profile within the website to represent themselves and allows users to interact through email, instant messaging and other integrated communication channels within the site. The popularity and growth of social networking sites over the past five years has been colossal, as many people from all over the world join up to this social phenomenon for various reasons. In fact, social networking sites do cause more harm than good.

Identity theft is a huge problem in today’s society and has come about as a result of the rapid expansion and availability of internet technology and the increase in personal data found on social networking sites. Such sites encourage you to edit your profile by adding your interests, full name, address, contact details, relationship status and other personal details. This information disclosure causes a huge problem as the information made it easy for the identity thieves to verify themselves as being you.

Another negative impact that social networks have on our relationships is the fact that they might weaken our strong ties with acquaintances and also bring about physical social isolation. The term “social networking” misleads people into believing that they are being social. Traditionally, we would regularly call each other and have more personal interactions with our friends or family members. However, the news feed feature on facebook and twitter keeps us in the loop with everything that out close friends and family are doing. Why would one call their friends to ask them what they got up to when clearly all they have to do is look at their news feed and find all the details along with pictures entailing their lives?

Source B

Author : James Schwartz
Title of article : Social Networking Sites Increase Feelings of Isolation
Newspaper : The Star
Published date : 30 September 2011
Page number : A1

Nowadays, the urge to contact each other over the phone or even face to face isn’t as important because we feel like we are still connected via social networks. As a result, personal interactions between friends are more superficial than they were. A case study that was done in Malaysia revealed that twenty-five percent of the respondents appear to have no close ties with friends which appear in their Facebook friend list. Additionally, a similar study amongst college student found that 1 in 7 says that social networking sites increase feelings of isolation. As well as nearly 70% report that while reading posts from someone close to them that seemed like a cry for emotional help, most students would offer support in some way, but fewer than half would make a personal visit. It is clear that the rise of social networks has increased social and emotional isolation and diluted the strength of human relationships.

Source C

Author : Unknown
Title of article : Addition to Social Networking Leads to Sleep Deprivation
Published date : 12 February 2012
Retrieved date : 1 March 2013
Website : News Medical
Website URL : http://news-medical.net/Addiction-to-social-networking-leads-to-sleep- deprivation.aspx

Millions of Malaysian are losing valuable sleep each night because they are addicted to social networking according to findings from a new sleep report.

Gone are the days when Malaysians liked nothing better than to tuck up in bed with a good book. In today’s modern society, 72% of adults spend their time in bed before falling asleep updating or checking their friends status updates on Facebook.

The study commissioned by Travelodge hotels surveyed 6000 adults to explore the nation’s bedtime habits and key findings revealed that we have become a nation of “Online-A-Holics”. So bad is the problem that seven out of ten Malaysians are tweeting, facebooking, surfing and writing on each others’ walls instead of going to sleep.

Dr. Michael Hastings, an expert in sleep patterns and body clocks and a research scientist for the Medical Research Council at the Grand Eagle Hospital, said “From a sleep point of view, this news is not good at all as it’s having a huge negative impact on people’s sleep. Adults don’t realize what impact using computers, mobile phones, and other gadgets before falling sleep is having on their night’s sleep. Being exposed to bright light from computer and mobile phone screens while in bed completely delays the brain and body’s ability to get to sleep. If people aren’t getting enough sleep each night their long-term memory is most definitely being affected and using social networking sites and technology before they go to sleep is worsening this. This will give negative impact to one’s health.

Corinne Sweet, Psychologist, comments on the research findings:” We have become a nation of ‘online-a-holics’. This addiction for social networking supports Maslow’s theory of humans having three basic needs. One of these being the need for love, affection, belonging and self-worth and Facebook provides the perfect solution to fulfill this requirement. By socially networking, we can fulfill our need to communicate and share our news in one hit with all of our contacts across the world 24/7 and obtain a comprehensive snapshot of what they are up to at any given time.”

Source D

Author : Unknown
Title of article : Facebook, social networking sites may affect your mental health
Published date : 5 May 2013
Retrieved date : 10 May 2013
Website : IBN Live
Website URL : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/facebook-social-networking-sites-may-affect-your-mental-health-study.html
Facebook and other social networking sites may affect your mental health by causing psychotic episodes and delusions, researchers warn. As Internet access becomes increasingly widespread, so do related psychopathologies such as Internet addiction and delusions related to the technology and to virtual relationships, according to the study.
Computer communications such as Facebook and chat groups are an important part of this story, said Dr Uri Nitzan of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Shalvata Mental Health Care Center. According to Nitzan, patients shared some crucial characteristics, including loneliness or vulnerability due to the loss of or separation from a loved one, relative inexperience with technology, and no prior history of psychosis or substance abuse.
In each case, a connection was found between the gradual development and exacerbation of psychotic symptoms, including delusions, anxiety, confusion, and intensified use of computer communications. The good news is that all of the patients, who willingly sought out treatment on their own, were able to make a full recovery with proper treatment and care, Nitzan said.
While technologies such as Facebook have numerous advantages, some patients are harmed by these social networking sites, which can attract those who are lonely or vulnerable in their day-to-day lives or act as a platform for cyber-bullying and other predatory behaviour, he said.
Some of the problematic features of the Internet relate to issues of geographical and spatial distortion, the absence of non-verbal cues, and the tendency to idealise the person with whom someone is communicating, becoming intimate without ever meeting face-to-face. All of these factors can contribute to a patient's break with reality, and the development of a psychotic state. The study was published in the Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences.

Source E

Author : Susan Greenfield
Title of article : Addicted to Social Network?
Published date : 14 June 2012
Retrieved date : 1 May 2013
Website URL : http://www.mentalhealth.com/susan-greenfielf/addicted-to-social-network.html

Facebook addiction has become an alarming problem among teenagers. According to Shankar Kapur, a behavioral psychologist, such online behavior takes root in American psychologist Abrahman Maslow’s theory on the three basic human psychological needs – love, affection and a sense of belonging.

“The constant update of status, photo albums and profile stalking is an attempt to seek attention and a sense of belonging. We want people to notice us, and it is perfectly harmless most of the time, but do take note that when it reaches obsessive level, especially when you get grumpy if you are denied from your regular dose of the social network,” he said.