Is Facebook Destroying Kids' Brains?

The people who do these studies were probably forbidden to listen to rock and roll. That was the brain poison of their generation, the internet and social networking is ours. When were older there will be some other invention that we can condem for lack of understanding. I wonder if the people who conduct this let their kids have a facebook...

I can agree and dissagree to alot of this. Mainly I believe that facebook, and other social networking sites shouldn't be used by children under 16. I know that a huge part of my childhood was spent exploring the great outdoors, going to the museum and planetarium with my father and lots of other fun, educational, and adventurous endevors. I attribute having common sense and good communication skills to the fact that I had to make and interact with friends in person, not by way of a glowing screen and keyboard. On the other hand I have found social networking sites to be beneficial to me as an adult. I am able to keep in touch with out of state family and friends, as well as reconnect with old friends. Plus the playing with the various applications can be very welcome, and relaxing at the end of a hard day of playing and enriching the lives of my three children. I am 26 years old, and I sometimes worry that the world is becoming so "unpersonalized" that someday face to face communication will not only be considered "old fashioned" but become completley a thing of the past. Maybe I am just the one who's old fashioned, I don't know. One thing is for sure, I will never have to worry about a computer punching me in the nose...or will I? (lol)

Claiming something like-
"A link between autism and social networking site."

is about the same as saying-

"The amount of beer in my fridge is proportionate to the amount of insects being born this day."

People make bogus/meaningless connections and call it fact.

This has got to be one OF the Dumbest subjects..... EVER. and you guys are actually arguing over it. PARENTS.... Monitor your kids.! You Gave birth.! YOU. Yes YOU! Are Responsible.!!!!

It's not the computer or the internet folks. American Kids are just plain dumb and stupid. Look at BiggWylma. An adult who can't even spell and then throws a fit and becomes sarcastic because somebody confronted her with it. Asian and Arab and Indian kids at age 10 know more than the American high school graduate. Shame on you idiots and shame on you mr dumbo president, who used affirmative action to get into the best universities, yet refused to let the American people see his transcripts. Now he's going to trash this country into the ground with his stupidity and no common sense.

Soooo....what...? Everyone is supposed to just stop using the internet? Good Luck.

They lost all credibility when they blamed the internet for autism spectrum disorders. If they had any clue about these disorders they would know that they symptoms are present well before the age that kids use computers. My son with diagnosed with autism at age 3. He never spent a single day on the computer at that age. Being a doctor and having a child with autism puts me in a position where I know more about it than any parent ever wants to.

Dr. D

the problem is obvious. parents don't really want to care for their children. they are far too busy spending money on crap that is being advertised.

1: you don't need the huge house.
2: you don't need the huge tv either.
3: you don't need two incomes. live within your means (wow, new concept for the idiot brigade!)
4: cut down your expenses and quit expecting the government to cover your bills.
5: your kids are more important and should be more important than your idiotic "friends."

This lazy generation that we are creating just means job security for me! Let them have all the facebook they want!

Facebook kicked my dog, stole my car, and ruined my credit.

It sounds like the same warning they gave out in the 60s about how TV was rotting the brain.

I belong to face book and I belong to myspace, I prefer myspace, I have several albums there and my family keeps up that way, they look aty my profile page , I have slide shows of my favorite stars and bands on there, silly stuff but its fun. I have not made any new friends, I joined mobsters and almost got myself killed, it was too realistic and mean spirited for me, one woman went crazy while she wasw killing me, it was awful. I don't like facebook, its too invasive and I don't know where top go there, everything about you, including your last name is out there for everyone to see, I put a few pictures up there and took them down when I found out everything belongs to them that you put up there. It seems more like a pick up place than anything else. I am planning on taking it down this week, myspce is a lot less intrusive. Its more decorative and you can have muisic. I don't spend that much time on it though.

This is the stupidest garbage. I've heard or read this kind of clap-trap since I was a kid in the 1950's. Back then it was pool tables and pin ball machines. They were 'ruining' the youth of America. It went on before I was born too. Jukeboxes, cars, phones, whatever was different and modern was 'bad'. What complete nonsense! In my life after pin ball machines it was rock and roll followed by every other new invention. The only thing putting young people at risk in this country is ass-hat experts who spout this kind of idiotic crap. Moderation in all things is the healty approach to everything, once you determine it isn't hurting others. If it your choice, do it. As for "experts" who condemn everything, they should go take a good long look in a mirror and find out why they're so flawed that all they can do is be pessimistic and naysay. This thinking is what holds the world back and it is all hogwash.

The internet as opened kids, teens and adults to a world of information. Never before was learning so easy. It is pretty much school at home, and they are learning something they are actually interested in, and often times something they otherwise would never have learned.

Internet has done wonders for the retail industry, since an internet storefront is a very low cost (under $100 a month) compared to the millions they have to put up for a physical storefront. Imagine a world without physical retail storefronts, and in their places homes, sports centers, schools, you name it. Of course it would probably never happen, but it is a very well possibility. It would save USPS, I can definitely tell you that. Competition is now so easily visible to the customer, which makes prices lower.

People that put down the internet do not understand what it has done for us. We would never have or know what we do today.

Look closely. Children in front of a computer screen...READING

I don't use Facebook, only Myspace. Myspace has enabled me to advertise my record for free, and now I am close to going gold. Would I have done that without the power of Myspace? No, especially since my band makes Misfits-era punk and would be turned down by radios and stupid, idiotic MTV.

ok the last time children had a chance of being Puristic was 1975 before the pinball machine and the orginal pong. as soon as any electronic game and computers were invented .........................
the school book english reading writing math history science art music industrial arts gym languages and just basic non electronic lifestyle stuff
HUMANITY AS GONE DOWN THE TOLIET AND IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE...so babies children teenagers

Hahaha. There's a HUGE difference between "living in modern society" and having an unhealthy fetish for the toys and baubles of technology. Too many people are turning the useful tools of modern technology in to unnecessary and often rude distractions.

I agree with the doctor to some extent. I'm addicted to facebook; wall posts and texting are my only forms of "substantial" communication. I often have little time during the day to twitter with friends, and the fact that we all have classes at different times also off-puts communication. Thus, I am left to rot my brain. However, I am hard pressed to quit such habits, as I am an addict. In another light, as long as I am communicating and can provide knowledge of correct use of diction, spelling, and grammar, am I really being harmed by technology? In my above statement, have I used any "chat speak?" I would gladly say everything that I have written above to the good doctors face, as well as all of yours. (I doubt it'll be offensive to anyone, but I could be wrong. There are a good deal of you jumping at each other for very small things.)