BBC NEWS | UK | Online networking 'harms health' - 0 views
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Online networking 'harms health'
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Dr Aric Sigman says websites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end up keeping people apart.
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A lack of "real" social networking, involving personal interaction, may have biological effects, he suggests. He also says that evidence suggests that a lack of face-to-face networking could alter the way genes work, upset immune responses, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and influence mental performance.
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This, he claims, could increase the risk of health problems as serious as cancer, strokes, heart disease, and dementia.
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Dr Sigman says that there is research that suggests the number of hours people spend interacting face-to-face has fallen dramatically since 1987, as the use of electronic media has increased.
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Dr Sigman also argues using electronic media undermines people's social skills and their ability to read body language.