7 Ways Twitter or Facebook Improves Your Health
The Psychological Benefits of Online Social Networking
Jan 7, 2009
Technological advances, such as the online social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, can improve your relationships, emotional health, and physical well-being. Here are seven psychological benefits of Twitter, Facebook, and other online social networks.
7 Ways Twitter or Facebook Improves Your Health: The Psychological 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: connection 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 a psychological health benefit.
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 business network. This is a practical way that Twitter or Facebook improves your psychological 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 a psychological health benefit.
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. Your psychological health benefits as you 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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