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You’ve probably heard about the risks associated with social networking sites such as cyber-bulling, violations of privacy, etc. However does a site, such as Facebook, have any redeeming value?

Recent findings indicate that they do.

Dr. Tom Boellstorff, the author of Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human, states that Second Life and similar sites offer benefits to people struggling with mental health issues. Some of which are:

• Individuals with Autism - who have trouble reading facial expressions in the physical world - are able to socialize with less social friction in Second Life because facial expressions are simplified.
• People who have agoraphobia have been able to leave their homes by practicing to leaving their virtual homes in Second Life; this is comparable to traditional cognitive behaviour therapies using visualization.
• People who are physically disabled take part in (virtual) all-night dance parties, without worrying about people staring at them.
• Terminally ill Cancer patients  are able to socialize without people around them preening on them all the time.

Boellstorff notes that virtual worlds such as Second Life, have been responsible for profound, positive change in certain individuals. This news is promising and provides hope for individuals who have experienced, or are concerned about, prejudice in all its forms.

This guest post was written by Theresa James

“… there is another — quite different — result of all this incessant (Facebook) updating: a culture of people who know much more about themselves. It’s like the Greek dictum to “know thyself,” or the therapeutic concept of mindfulness.”

- A quote from a recent New York Times article, entitled: Brave New World of Digital Intimacy

Mindfulness? “Know thyself”? Wouldn’t it be more honest to state that Facebook nourishes narcissism, and  acts as a distraction from boring tasks? And if tech-geeks are calling for a “secular sabbath“, perhaps we should spend more time on the mediation cushion, and less time on our profiles.

Everybody now…breathe in, breathe out.

Today I was speaking with colleagues about a podcast that will be hosted on our hospital’s website. The conversation went something like this:

Me: “The podcast will feature…”
Colleague #1: “What’s a podcast?”
Colleague #2: “I think it’s an audio interview.”
Me: “Exactly! But unlike an audio interview, with an RSS feed…”
Colleague #1: “RSS what?”.
Colleague #2: “Can you play an RSS on your computer?”
Etc., etc.

My colleagues are very bright, talented clinicians. And due to the minutiae of management issues (unions, staffing, administration) they don’t have the luxury (or perhaps interest) to keep up to date with the latest tech trends. However what was once a luxury is now a priority for clinicians working with tweens and teens. It’s not simply a matter of being able to understand geekspeak, i.e. twittering vs podcasting. Rather it’s being mindful of the complex issues - exacerbated and/or initiated by social media use - that adolescents bring to our offices.

The goals of this blog are simple:

1. To clarify and demystify social media concepts, trends, etc.
2. To discuss the possible mental health concerns associated with on-line technologies (e.g. Facebook)
3. To help create on-line communities that foster growth, support and creativity

As a kid, do you remember being asked to think of eternity? Or to ponder the idea of “living forever”? Do you recall “wigging out” from the notion of endless space, life… ice cream?  Well the Sunday edition of the Toronto Star claims social media sites hold onto our personal information for, what could be, eternity:

“Long after our bodies die, traces of ourselves linger online: a Facebook profile, some comments on a blog, not to mention questionable photos and videos.”

So social media sites provide us with a façade of immortality… whether we like it or not.  And according to the article, grieving families don’t have much of a say in the matter.

I liked it better when this was only a game.

There was a time when adolescents had a semblance of control over their identities. If you woke up in the morning with a huge zit, you’d feign sick, and no one would know the better. Those days are long gone. To maintain a semblance of control (forget privacy) over your on-line identity, you need to be vigilant about what you, and others, post about you on-line. The process can be exhausting, yet if ignored, it could have serious consequences. Don’t believe me? Check out the new documentary American Teen, and watch what happens when a girl sends her lover a topless photo (of herself).

The question isn’t: Will this impact adolescent self-esteem and general mental health? The question is: How will they manage two identities, one of which is “alive” 24 hours a day, and managed by anyone with an internet connection?  Oh one last thing: we (adults) are not immune to any of the above.

So in the words of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus: “Hey, let’s be careful out there!”

“It seems as though virtually all of the problems of the Net stem from this one flaw, and its one I’ve riffed on before. If we can eliminate anonymity online, we create a far more civil place.”

- Seth Godin, American author, blogger, and popular speaker.

It’s been over four years since Seth wrote those words.  I wonder if, in 2008, he would be so restrained in his condemnation of anonymity given this shocking expose of trolls and hackers in the NYT.

Using anonymity as cover, these individuals take pride in pushing people to the brink of emotional collapse. According to one infamous troll:

“I make people afraid for their lives… Trolling is basically Internet eugenics”.

If for no other reason, read the article so you can discuss these issues with your kids (parents) and clients (professionals).

Dr Bob’s 12 steps coming to a PC (or mac, iPhone, Blackberry) near you:

1. We admitted we were powerless over facebook—that our lives had become virtual.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Etc…

I’ve been asked to address this issue (Internet Addiction) at a local high school. The question is, does this condition exist? Many of my friends, er, ahem, have expressed concern about the amount of time they spend on the web. And a quick Google search will turn up a plethora of “how to” articles, software hacks and support groups to help curb Internet use.

I’m going to wager that most teens don’t struggle with this issue. A study conducted by the Online Testing eXchange (OTX), found that more than 50% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 would prefer to go on a date to surfing the Internet. The study also showed that 47% would give up playing video games for a date, 42% would give up listening to music and 58% would give up television for a date.

It would appear teens belong to a bygone era of dating real people.

Who’d’ve thunk it?