Facebook Bad For The Brain?

(CBS)  Do your kids spend too much time "poking" their friends, posting photos and updating their status on Facebook? A new study suggests that students who use the popular networking site spend less time studying, reports CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg.

With about 200 million users worldwide, "Facebook is definitely embedded into the mainstream of American life now," said John Abel from Wired.com.

It's hard to find anyone not on Facebook, including Sieberg.

But while Facebook got its start on college campuses, some think all that social networking could be bad for the brain.

According to an Ohio State University study released this week, Facebook users had GPAs a full grade lower than non-users. Facebook users also studied on average one to five hours a week, compared to 11 to 15 hours for non-users.

The students CBS News spoke with reported mixed results when asked if there grades suffered as a result of Facebook.

"No, I mean schoolwork comes first," Danny McCabe told Sieberg. But for Margaret Solis, social networking "definitely" affected her grades.

But "Net Generation" guru Don Tapscott is skeptical about the study's findings.

"There isn't a shred of evidence that Facebook is bad for young people. On the contrary, it's a wonderful thing that, with balance, helps them grow, helps their mental abilities develop and it should be encouraged," said Tapscott, the author of "Grown Up Digital."

Of course, maybe another study will look at the effects of other "classic" college distractions - like drinking.

[JesseBorde]

I think this is partly (just partly) a scapegoat. I mean, the people that HAVE facebook in school/college use it to socialize and find parties and enjoy entertainment. The people WITHOUT this utility I think are less social, and less extracurricularly active. I think that facebook is only PART of the problem, because the people that have facebook party, socialize, and surf the net more than the people without.
I think this is going to become a non-issue, similar to the videogame debate, where owning a gaming console limited social activity and scholarly activities; those isssues have diwndled out of the public eye, and the Facebook scandle will do the same...

[vm7488-2009]

"A new study suggests that students who use the popular networking site spend less time studying"

-- Duh?! How long did it took for you to figure that one out?! I bet the author was busy updating their status that's why they posted this article just now! (Just kidding).

Social Networking sites are just as terrible as Alchohol, Drugs, gangsters, and Video games!

[remarkor]

I don't think it was a question of whether spending time on a social networking site means less time studying. That is obvious. The question is to what level are the students affected and how much time are they wasting on these sites. That's where the study comes in. You wouldn't expect somebody to make a claim without data would you?
Posted by displeased at 11:31 AM : Apr 15, 2009

C'mon people, the obvious flaw in this silly study is that it proves nothing. Maybe bad students spend time on facebook. It doesnt mean facebook creates bad students. If they had a study with 20 kids where 10 began using facebook and there was a significant drop compared to the other 10 then maybe they would have something to report. Even the title of this article Facebook Bad for the Brain is completely misleading since the study suggests kids are replacing study time for facebook, not that they are getting dumber from it. I think reading CBS News is getting bad for the brain. I know mine now hurts.

[debinok1]

This is the direct result of very poor parental responsibility. Instead of driving across town to see if these kids are where they said they would be, mom or dad just hands them a cell phone so they can call. Instead of letting them out in the back yard to play, parents over structure their time, it is easier than watching them. When they grow up they have not had enough parent time and too much time with other adults, like teachers, the dance instructor, the karate instructor, the ball coach. And parents expect them to understand limits and responsibility, when no one ever taught them.

[rickwar98]

That's where the study comes in. You wouldn't expect somebody to make a claim without data would you?
Posted by displeased at 11:31 AM : Apr 15, 2009

They do it all the time----------

[azure13]

Don't know about it being bad for the brain, but I feel sad for people who need the internet for socializing. Get out of the house people...

[displeased]

Facebook Bad For The Brain?
Students Who Use Social Networking Site Spend Less Time On Schoolwork, Study Finds

Well Duh!
Posted by rickwar98

I don't think it was a question of whether spending time on a social networking site means less time studying. That is obvious. The question is to what level are the students affected and how much time are they wasting on these sites. That's where the study comes in. You wouldn't expect somebody to make a claim without data would you?

[watch09]

Being 57 yoa, we didn't have computers, gaming systems, cable tv, cell phones etc growing up. We amused ourselves with outdoor activities and probably could have played outside forever had it not been for "parents" regulating our study time and play time. I don't think that solution was a bad idea and seemed to work for us. I will however say that facebook is a pleasant distraction from stresses if used moderately and for what it is designed to be used for. That is a tool for light social networking, being able to see pictures of family/friends and useful reasonable behavior. Parents be aware of what kids post and say and guide them along

[geminispyder-2009]

"According to an Ohio State University study released this week, Facebook users had GPAs a full grade lower than non-users."

This will probably be recieved back in Ann Arbor as: OSU wastes money anyalyzing lazy students.

[EPCO1]

.....did we really need a study to tell us this? I just graduated from college, and I can tell you yes, every minute my friends and I spent on facebook was a minute we weren't studying. But is it really facebook's fault? Of course not! If we didn't disctract ourselves with facebook, there are a million other things out there we would have wasted time on instead. But thank you OSU for that fascinating tidbit of common sense. :)