How Social Media Networking Improves Your Health
The Benefits of Online Networks Like Twitter and Facebook
Jan 7, 2009
Online social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook can improve your personal relationships, emotional health, and physical well-being. Here are seven psychological and emotional health benefits of Twitter, Facebook, and other online social networks.
The Emotional Health Benefits of Online Social Networking
1. Connecting with friends you haven’t met yet. Psychological research shows that feelings of connection to other people lead to longer, healthier, happier lives. Social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook connect people in ways that aren’t possible offline, which helps people feel less isolated and more supported.
2. Increasing communication in your family. Even if you have a small family, it can be difficult to keep in touch with your relatives. Online social networks such as Twitter or Facebook can help you keep in touch with your family through short sentences. It’s the best of both worlds: connecting while saving time!
3. Reconnecting with old friends or family members. Websites such as Twitter or Facebook allow you to find friends you went to grade school with, old Boy Scout leaders, or long-lost cousins. These online social networks allow you to connect with your past, which can be emotionally healthy.
4. Engaging in business networking. Keeping in touch with industry news, colleagues, and market fluctuations is fast and easy with online social networking websites…and, if you’re ever in need of a new job or career, you’ll already have a strong professional network. This is a practical way that Twitter or Facebook improves your emotional health - it offers a sense of security!
5. Clarifying what’s important to you. If you’re on Twitter, you have to create short, succinct sentences that summarize your thoughts, opinions, and feelings. This forces you to figure out exactly what you mean to say, which helps you clarify your beliefs and opinions. Similarly, Facebook helps you focus on the people, photos, and interactions that are meaningful to you – which is emotionally healthy.
6. Sharing your world. “The more you give, the more you get,” is a popular saying because it’s true! In most online social networks like Facebook and Twitter, you have the freedom to share your valuable resources and information. You begin to realize how you can influence others and make a difference in the world
7. Helping other people. Sometimes, a request on Twitter or Facebook results in helping financially needy families, individuals with health problems, or even depressed people struggling with suicidal thoughts. Simply sending a brief note or expressing your sympathy or empathy not only helps others – it can improve your own physical and emotional health by helping you realize that you can touch other people’s lives.
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