December 5, 2016.
Social media could help users extend their life expectancy, according to a study by a team of researchers from Yale and San Diego Universities in the United States.
Social media addiction is great for your health
Being addicted to social networks is good for your health! In any case, this is what a recent American study reveals. According to these works, have a count Facebook would increase life expectancy. To reach this disconcerting conclusion, to say the least, researchers followed 12 million users of the social network, born between 1945 and 1989.
By comparing the medical data of these users with the rest of the population, they found that the latter had a 12% lower risk of dying prematurely. But how to explain it? According to the authors of this study, it is the social interactions between users that keep us healthy. In short, to stay healthy you need to have friends.
Social networks help fight isolation
Indeed, Facebook account holders who accepted many friend requests were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, suicide or pathologies linked to isolation. Previous studies had found that social isolation reduced immune defenses and increased inflammation, which could lead to arthritis or diabetes. Facebook would therefore be a remedy against these diseases.
But be careful, for this to be effective, you also need to have friends in real life, not just having virtual relationships. ” Having social interactions online seems to be good for your health when your web activity is moderate and supplemented by other interactions in real life. », Explains Professor William Hobbs, who took part in the work. On the other hand, not a word about the negative consequences of these interactions on the Internet, such as harassment. Other researchers will take care of it.
Read also: Television, an enemy of our health?
