Can Facebook Make You Sick?

A controversial study from the Institute of Biology recently reported that social networking sites such as Facebook could raise your risk of cancer, strokes, heart disease and dementia. The reason: "Increased isolation could alter the way genes work and upset immune responses, hormone levels and the function of arteries and impair mental performance." In other words, not being around other people is bad for your health.


Watch my appearance on FOX 4 Good Day last week where I discuss this issue.

The research went on to say that face-to-face conversations have decreased steadily since 1987 and that there is a difference between "real presence" and virtual presence. The study even identified "socially regulated genes" that affect our immune system.

Last year I blogged about how Facebook helps you stay in the Smart Zone. And I still believe it does. I've embraced blogging, Twitter (sort of), YouTube, Facebook and of course, email. Plus, I'm lost without my iPhone.

Just to prove I'm not "down" on Facebook, there are studies that show it increases productivity at work. An Australian study found surfing the internet for fun during office hours actually increased employees productivity. The study from the University of Melbourne says "workplace internet leisure browsing, or WILB, helped to sharpen workers' concentration." It goes on to say that people need to zone out for a bit to rest their mind so they can have a higher concentration level.

But communicating with someone on Facebook does not replace human contact. When you minimize or eliminate contact with people you increase your chances of social isolation, loneliness, a negative outlook and ill health. This is true even for introverted people.

Use these Smart Moves so that Facebook doesn't make you sick:

• Call someone out of the blue. Not by poking them on Facebook or sending them an email. Pick up the phone and call someone - voice to voice.


• Resist the urge to answer your cell phone when you are at lunch with a coworker. The only time I interrupt a conversation to answer my cell phone is if I see the school nurse calling. A fast way to lose connection with someone is to interrupt the conversation with a call from someone else.


• Words are a tiny part of communication. Experts say that 7% of human communication comes from words, while 38% is from a person's tone of the voice and 55% comes from body language. Without face-to-face interaction you are only using 7% of your capacity to communicate.


• Find ways to connect. Find a reason to say thank you, offer sympathy to a bereaved friend, give a birthday wish or congratulate someone. St. Patrick's Day is coming up - use this as your excuse to call someone!


• Acknowledge people by speaking to them when they enter your presence. My Director of Client Relations, Zan Jones, is a stickler about this. It could be because she has had a career in sales and management and knows the importance of relationships. Zan says that she never passes by someone in the hallway without acknowledging them in some way - usually with a smile and a "Hi." Don't miss a day telling your coworkers, "Good morning."


• Serve with someone. One of my favorite ways to connect with people is to volunteer for a project or cause. Volunteer to serve on the board of a nonprofit agency or on a church committee, answer the phones at the hospital or work at the concession stand during your kid's sporting events. By serving in the community you create a personal win-win.

Even the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, understands the importance of spending personal time with other people. In the March issue of Fast Company, he reveals that during what Facebook called its "Christmas break" he and several Facebook employees went to India for the week long family celebration and wedding of 2 Facebook staffers. Now that's a Smart Move!

By the way, I'd love for you to join my Facebook Fan Page or follow me on Twitter!

Response to Facebook eNewsletter

I received a number of emails about my last eNewsletter "Why I Am on Facebook" and thought you all might enjoy, and maybe agree with, these responses.

An accountant in his 40's writes:

"Good article but I have a question. What do you think about adults socializing on Face Book with women communicating with men friends or vice versa? Do you think this could opens doors for affairs to get started? Just like we warn our kids not to talk with strangers etc. I don't use face book but saw this over the holidays with a family member. A wife who's involved in her kids school, soccer coach communicating with men parents. In this case it was noticeable that this could be something that innocently enough could turn into something more. Another example would be class reunions when people communicate by email and FB. I certainly wouldn't want my wife communicating with an old boyfriend!!! I am not meaning to be overly protective but on the other hand I don't need any more distractions in my life but more down time. I looked around at one point during the holiday and everyone in the room had either a laptop opened to FB or I-pods. The kids even played a Chess game and an I-pod in one hand, multi tasking taken to another level. Not for me!! "

Another person who was in the audience when I spoke at the annual meeting for the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) in Austin this month writes:

"You know I always thought I would never have time for that and I am no where near being someone as famous and busy as I would think you would be. I have a brother who lives in Houston and makes tons of money and he recently sent me his facebook invite, and I was amazed that he at 58 would have that. We have it blocked at our school and recently received the following as a concern.

The Attorney General has posted a brief video concerning Social Networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. It might be good 'food for thought' for parents in your districts. The video can be viewed at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/ or by clicking this link. The number of sex offenders posting on these sites is staggering and poses a great threat to our children.

Also in the news is a new term, 'sexting.' Children are taking x-rated pictures of themselves and sending them via their cell phones. Click here to read more about this on CBS news. I also googled and found other articles.

Of course that is for mainly young people that need guidance on how to make sure they know not to get involved with strange identities."



What do you think?

Why I Am on Facebook

I was resistant. How do I have time to get on that site and isn't that for kids and college students? Then we went on vacation this summer and we were watching our friends check their Facebook pages and I got curious. They didn't fit the profile I had drummed up in my head as the type of people who would be social networking. As we talked about it, they set up a page for me in what seemed like just a few seconds. Soon I had a profile picture, was listing my favorite books and began searching for people I was curious to find. I'm hooked. I am the face of Facebook, or as some call it, FB.

This is my current profile picture. My 13 year old son took it while we were in the car at the carpool line.

Social networking used to mean going to Chamber of Commerce meetings and then it got real fancy with targeted opportunities like organized weekly networking groups. With online social networking, now you can stay in your PJs and network. I don't even have to do my hair! There are currently 39,911,920 people active on FB. When I looked to see how many people in the U.S. ages 35 and up were on FB, I found out there are 9,823,660. And I'm one of them!

Here is how being on Facebook and social networking keeps you in the Smart Zone.

• Stress Management: I believe everyone has a bucket inside of them that gets full when they feel aggravated or frustrated. We need things in our lives that empty our bucket so it doesn't get full. When it gets full, we have what I call an exaggerated response. While I don't always have my FB up throughout the day, I do get on it sometimes between patients, at the end of the day, and when I am hanging out in the airport waiting for my flight. It empties my bucket and I enjoy some of what my FB friends post. Here is a video that came recently from one of my friends.


• Relationships Build Business: Many of the speakers I present with and many of those who hire me to speak are people that I really enjoy getting to know. There is an excitement about the speaking business and there are so many things we may have in common. A recent article in Fast Company shows how those who use the social networking site, LinkedIn, make more money. While I never intend for my FB page to be an advertisement, it is only natural that there are opportunities that will come your way.


• Social Networking supports the Smart Zone Secret: The Smart Zone Secret is to get out of your head and put the focus on someone else. I believe we all have the tendency to take ourselves too seriously. Recently I had a bad fall on an icy day. (What is a Florida girl doing in Texas anyway?) The fall ended up being serious enough that I got a few staples in my head. One of my best friends growing up, Don, is now a professor at Oregon State University. He and I stay in touch on FB and he called me "metal head." Only Don can get away with that. Don knows how to remind me to not take myself too seriously. He knows the Smart Zone Secret.

One caveat. Sometimes FB can fill your stress bucket. Using it during productive work hours can waste time and is unfair to your employer. Or if you stay up until the wee hours of the morning it can steal needed sleep time. This is an issue with all of us as we have the ability to work 24/7.

Keeping the above caveat in mind, I'd love to be your FB friend! So please send me a friend request.