Is Facebook Worthy of a Surgeon General Warning?
Boris D. Lushniak, the Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral, has decided that the Facebook homepage should include a warning, similar to the labels that are included on cigarette packages. Do you find yourself feeling badly after scouring your newsfeed all day? Studies have shown that many people do. Recent trials conducted by researchers have proven that as a result of Facebook usage, people experience feelings of; intense envy, insomnia, disrupted friendships, feelings of isolation, and overall dissatisfaction with their lives. This is especially common among young people.
Many psychiatrists have been told by their younger patients that they feel Facebook negatively impacts their lives and they'd like to give up using the website, but they "Just can't stop".
Hundreds of MILLIONS of people in North America are at risk of psychological damage from Facebook. Dr Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Mediacal Team, states that, “Academic research studies have determined that using Facebook may be dangerous to your health and may cause serious psychiatric symptoms.” He said that a warning could read along the lines of; “Academic Research Suggests Facebook Use Is Addictive and May Cause Psychiatric Disorders.
The surgeon general warning would be the first act of creating awareness for the hazards associated with the use, and more importantly- the overuse of the social media site.
Ablow believes that the National Institute of Mental Health should run a full scale experiment on the impacts of Facebook usage on the psyche of adolescents and teens.
So what do you think? Do you agree with these claims?
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