Social networks rot your brain

Or words to that effect. The Daily Mail brings us the chilling news that eminent Oxford University Neuroscientist, Baroness Greenfield believes that social networking sites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young. The Mail then recounts how many millions of youngsters are signing up to such sites as Facebook and Twitter, blissfully unaware of the harm they are inflicting on themselves.

One wonders if Susan Greenfield is a little out of touch with what people might be doing on social networking sites, and her comments to other politicians in the House of Lords appear to be based on observations relayed by a friend in the teaching profession. The Baroness also suggests we can't tell whether the increase in diagnoses of autism might also be down to increased social networking practices of the young!

This type of scaremongering is lapped up by the tabloid press, but appears to have little to actually substantiate the claims made.

It's ironic that children and young people today are over-protected by worried parents. They are prevented from going outside to socialise, because we believe it's too dangerous. Five years ago we'd have been complaining children were watching too much TV and not interracting enough with anyone. And now they are spending a lot of time interracting online, creating diverse, meaningful, collaborative relationships, older generations complain about that too. Of course the virtual world is full of danger - or so the tabloids would have us believe. So it's dangerous to go outside, but it's dangerous inside as well.

What's needed is some common sense here. There's space for young people to grow up and make friends in both the virtual and real worlds. And often these two groups overlap a great deal. Yes there are dangers in both of these, but there are also positive, valuable opportunities too.

Preventing or scaring young people from using social media deprives them of such opportunities. Closing off access to such opportunities cannot be a positive thing for young people.

Actually trying and exploring social media might be a more helpful approach for adults concerned or mystified by what it's all about.