It looks like Facebook, social networking site that is being used by every person that has access to the internet, may ruin the lives of a certain age group. According to a recent study, Facebook does more than just help teens connect and share with others, but also influences them to consume alcohol and do drugs.
Researchers from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that teens who use Facebook and/or other social networking sites every day are 2 times more likely to use marijuana, 3 times more likely to drink, and 5 times more likely to smoke tobacco, compared to those who do not frequent the sites as much.
The study also reveals that 70 percent of teens spend time on these sites every day; that’s 17 million 12- to 17- year-olds.
Joseph A. Califano, Jr., study author, founder and chairman of Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse claims that looking at pictures of teens getting drunk, using drugs, and passing out contributes to this risky behavior.
“Continuing to provide the electronic vehicle for transmitting such images constitutes electronic child abuse,” Califano adds.
But Facebook may not be the only cause. The study, which also looks at how television contributes to this type of behavior, found that 1/3 of teens who watch shows like Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, and Gossip Girl, are 2 times as likely to drink and do drugs.
Dr. Andres Huberman, medical director at North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospitals’ project outreach in West Hempstead, N.Y., told WebMD, “They see these images and there are no moral or educational statements accompanying them, so teens may be left with the impression that this is what the real world is about and that everybody is doing it, so it is OK.”
So Lovelies, do you agree with what the study has to say?
guest
NO. It’s BS. they make the choice on their own. enough said.
guest
This is just a correlational study, so you can’t really get any type of conclusive evidence from that… Really, these people don’t know if the personality type who is more likely to use Facebook is just more easily influenced or more social (hence, wanting to do what everyone else is doing) than types who aren’t as interested in social networking sites or television shows involving partying (Jersey Shore). You can’t say that Facebook is making people do these things. Everyone wants to blame a social medium, but it doesn’t work that way. My sister is a perfect example. She always partied in high school when she shouldn’t have been, and Facebook wasn’t around then, though that was when everyone was blaming MTV. She is constantly on Facebook now, but that’s because she’s a very social person and very extroverted, and constantly likes being connected to the people around her, and she also likes to party. I would say the same teens who are more likely to enjoy things like partying and constantly being around people are also the ones who are more likely to be really into social networking sites, not the other way around.
guest
Correlation does not equal causation.
And I’m pretty sure “teen” covers ages 18 and 19 as well…
Also, let’s not forget that in a matter of world-wide statistics, 16-19 year olds are legally allowed to smoke and drink, pending what country they are from (most likely European). In Amsterdam marijuana is even legal.
daffodil / 1525 posts
What is wrong with smoking marijuana. Seriously.
guest
How stupid. 90% of people where I’m from, teens and adults, either drink or smoke on a regular basis, and the higher percentage of the people who use facebook more regularly and do those things probably relates to the fact that drunk or high people tend to get on facebook more. That makes much more sense than “facebook addicts will become alcoholics and drug addicts.”
guest
Correlation does not equal causation. I know this isn’t designed to be the most intellectual site in the world, but let’s just try to remember that from Stats 101.
guest
Facebook is the devil. I conducted my own study.
guest
I don’t think its facebook and those shows that are causing teens to drink, I think its the teens that drink also happen to use facebook a lot and watch those shows.
guest
I definitely think Facebook is a big part of it. There are a lot of girls that post pictures of themselves doing stuff they wouldn’t wanna be caught doing in real life. Or they post photos of themselves that aren’t even what they look like on a daily basis. Facebook glamourizes a lot of things. It’s not even real.
daisy / 599 posts
@Shadowshif@xanga - Lol you don’t think teens are influenced by anything?
Anyways, I cursed the day facebook was open to anyone more than Ivy League students. Now it has become a playground for bullying, gossip, attention whoring, and drama. Mostly abused by high school children and a good portion of college age students, with exceptions of course.
Teens do stupid shit rooted from various influences, so I wouldn’t blame facebook alone, although it doesn’t help matters for sure.
guest
I dont understand what facebook has to do with anything like that.. Whatever…
guest
@MissAshley - I never said they weren’t influenced. I was just said they aren’t being MADE to make those choices. Sure they could stalk the “in-crowd” and make those decisions but all in all it’s their choice alone. All social sites do is take the drama from realize and bring it closer to everyone else that uses it.
I remember when Xanga was “the start” of every fight cause of what people posted and it was usually about someone else and everyone had everyone-else’s blogs.So you can’t pin it on facebook, myspace was like that too.
It was only like that cause of the choices the people using it made. You can’t blame the site.
guest
@raspberryjade@xanga - Exactly what I’m saying…. in a way.
@butterflytree@xanga - So does Myyearbook (which was directed as a high school site for classes) and my space. sometime adults are the culprits of trashing social sites. cause it wasn’t until the adults got on Myyearbook that it turned into a dating site. I was on it before it turned into one.
and I meant real-life rather than realize sorry I was typing fast and missed it
guest
@Shadowshif@xanga - Yeah definitely, I agree. I remember when Facebook was just for college kids too. All of a sudden over a few years or so it turned into a dating site as well and a blog for high schoolers and everyone else. :/
guest
@butterflytree@xanga - Yeppers. So you can’t neccesaraly blame the site. and being that big I imagine it’s hard to constantly look at stuff to keep things in check.
guest
This could easily be translated to “subjecting teens to the real world forces them to make bad choices” or even “exploiting teens to other teens that do bad things makes them do bad things”
I mean seriously, you can’t keep kids living in a bubble forever.
cherry blossom / 27 posts
First of all, not everyone who has access to the internet uses Facebook. I’m one of the people who don’t & I know of many others who don’t. Secondly, this statement here, “Researchers from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that teens who use Facebook and/or other social networking sites every day are 2 times more likely to use marijuana, 3 times more likely to drink, and 5 times more likely to smoke tobacco, compared to those who do not frequent the sites as much.” seems like complete bullshit to me. I do those things, but I don’t use Facebook. I know of many people who do those things, but don’t use Facebook. & I also know of many people who DO have access to Facebook & DON’T do those things.
guest
@CallmeLady187@xanga - Exactly
@allnightmarelong@xanga - Also my point.
orchid / 222 posts
This is a bad survey, the majority of the teens who don’t use facebook are the kids who dont really party anyway, it doesnt really have anything to do with facebook just the type of kid.