Social Networking: Good or Bad?

A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web-based and provide means for users to interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service, though in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.

Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, Google, Youtube and Tumblr are some of the social networking sites I belong to. On the average, I would say I spend 25 hours per week on these networking sites.

Good or Bad?

In 2009, a slew of news reports warned that social networking sites would ruin our bodies and brains by shortening our attention spans, weakening our immune systems and possibly fostering autism.

Those headlines were largely generated by statements from Susan Greenfield, neuroscientist and former director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and British psychologist Aric Sigman.

Greenfield voiced concern that fast-paced social networking habits could change the shape of young people’s developing brains, while Sigman speculated that online social networking, in lieu of face-to-face contact, could lead to poor health.

But genuine, published scientific studies haven’t yet validated those claims.

 In fact, current research indicates that tweeting, status updating and other social networking activities might actually be good for our psychological well-being, physical health and in-person relationships.

Those positive feelings are direct products of social capital, or the informational and emotional support family, friends and acquaintances provide. Extensive research has established that the more social capital people believe they have, the greater sense of well-being they enjoy.

Facebook users mostly accrue that social capital through interactions, such as “liking” wall posts and sending event invitations to friends and contacts they’ve already met in the real world.

In other words, these online platforms allow people to build social capital — and reap the psychological rewards.

Though early critics warned that social networking in front of computer screens would drive us into isolation, we reap comparable benefits from keeping in touch online as we do from catching up face-to-face because online social networks aren’t all that different from real-world ones.

Since social networking sites allow us to see those commonalities and initiate more frequent contact, Fowler says these online interactions can enrich in-person relationships.

Of course, not all communication circulating through social networking sites is nice and uplifting.

Perhaps instead of being addicted to the online tools themselves, they’ve merely become more attached to their friends, which is a far cry from the lonely dystopia some have predicted.

“Our brains haven’t changed, our real world social networks haven’t changed for the most part, and the question is how we’ll fit these new technologies in to our real world social networks.”

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Did you know that …

…computers, cellphones and other electronic devices are bad to our health?

Most of us today, young and adult, use different kinds of electronic devices: computers, cellphones, and other gadgets for work, entertainment or to manage finances. The truth is, computers give off harmful radiation that is bad for your health. Computers, along with any other electronic gadgets, emit certain electromagnetic rays and frequencies. It’s similar to secondhand smoking. You end up absorbing all of the harmful computer radiation.

There is an argument that mobile phone causes change in the structure of chemicals of cells. Also, they are accused of causing cancer. The radiation from the mobile phones has been villainised by those who warn that the excess usage of mobile phones can damage brain cells. The heat produced by the radiation from mobile phones has been found to change the chemical structure of chemicals synthesized in small organisms like worms. But many scientists are of opinion that the radiation cannot be harmful to human tissues. A recent report says that so far there is no evidence of any adverse effect by mobile phone radiations, but they added that newer researches have to be conducted.

Recently, I have observed some serious effects of mobile phone radiation on brain. In Brain, Hippocampus is understood to be responsible for learning and memory. In order to confirm this, we have carried out investigations on the whole brain, hippocampus, and remaining brain. This was undertaken to determine the possible site of the Electromagnetic Field (EMF) biointeraction. We have concluded that these radiations may damage our nervous system especially memory. This has been done by protein kinase C activity and DNA strand break, which has been affected by mobile phone radiations.

Anyway it is better to prevent kids from using mobile phones excessively because their brain tissues are more vulnerable to chemical changes and cancer if exposed to radiation.

If you are worried about the potential hazards of cell-phone radiation, here are few ways to reduce your risk:

• Use a hands-free headset.
• Use a phone that places the antenna as far away from you as possible.
• Extend the antenna during use.
• Limit calls inside buildings.
• Use the phone in open spaces as often as possible.
• Limit use by children.

and for prevention of computer radiation:

• Foods high in Vitamin A and C can reduce computer radiation
• Computer ventilators and coolers/fans can reduce radiation
• Computer placement: have an ideal eye distance of about 80cm away from the screen to reduce computer radiation
• Older modeled computers emit more radiation than newly developed ones
• Radiation filter plates can also reduce radiation greatly
• Cactus and other plants help absorb harmful computer radiation

Always remember, PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!

Sources:How to Prevent Computer Radiation | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4995339_prevent-computer-radiation.html#ixzz1dApgRc3h

http://soni2006.hubpages.com/hub/Effects-of-cell-phone—mobile-phone-use-on-our-brain-and-memory

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shakespeares-girlfriend:

  

HAHA.

uhmm…

leprechaunwish:

Ovaries!

shakespeares-girlfriend:

step 1 , gawing kulot ang buhok ^_^

step 2 and 3:)

magsuot ng damit na magkakulay mula ulo hanggang paa. PATI EYELINER ISAMA MO NA!

 STEP 4 AND 5 

- PLACE HAIR COAT ON TOP OF HAIR TO MAKE IT LOOK AS NEAT AS YOU CAN. PLUS, A SPARKLY HEADBAND :)

last step : TAKE A PHOTO OF YOURSELF FOCUSED ON YOUR FOREHEAD :) 

#voila!

- Certified ma. keni. villaruz ka na!