Facebook and social networks have many shortcomings, not only religious and spiritual, but also social. Many of them have been published in opinion columns and popular writings, and conversations about them have been delivered by educational figures, both religious and secular.
However, alongside this, a surprising study has been published on the website of the well-known newspaper 'The Independent', which states that the more a person surfs Facebook and social networks, the longer they will live.
Sound strange?
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Not according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego, who studied no fewer than 12 million Facebook users. "Online interaction appears to be a healthy thing, with computer activity balancing and complementing non-virtual social interactions," said author William Hobbs. "Only in extreme cases, when a person spends a lot of time online and little time interacting with other people, does a negative effect appear.".
The researchers examined the activity of the users, but also examined people who lived in those years and died, and came to the conclusion that using Facebook reduces the chance of dying by 12 percent - compared to someone who does not use it.
Another surprising finding: The more friends a person has on Facebook, the greater their chances of living longer. Similar results were reported for those who approved friend requests.
The conclusion, then, is that creating friendships adds life.
So is this kosher for Facebook addicts? We didn't say, but we did adopt the conclusion that social connections in general are a recipe for a healthier and longer life.
