Blogging is good for you

Hot on the heels of last month's furore over health issues and social networking, comes a study suggesting that those who blog enjoy better social relationships. The consternation you may recall was due to unfounded statements by respected psychologists Susan Greenfield and Aric Sigman about how the use of Facebook and other social web tools could cause psychological problems including ADHD and autism in young people. The pro-blog findings come in a psychological study conducted by the delightfully named Ko and Kuo. British Psychological Society journal The Psychologist takes up the story:

Ko and Kuo surveyed 692 university students who blogged and found that those who used their blogs more to share information about their feelings, emotions and experiences also tended to report a greater sense of social belonging and superior well-being. The study is limited by its cross-sectional design, but Ko and Kuo further noted that the audiences for the students' blogs were largely made up of their real-life friends and class-mates. 'Blogging does not diminish substantial relationships in real life but, on the contrary, helps to enhance bloggers' existing relationships through social bonding' they said.

In another slap in the face for Susan Greenfield, a Which report led by neuroscientist Chris Baird suggests that the brain-training games she endorses are supported by only very weak evidence over their effectiveness. 'People who buy brain-trainers to keep their minds in shape may be just as well off leading active social lives or surfing the internet.' Which Magazine says on its website.

See, it isn't that hard to do a little research to establish the strength of a claim. Maybe certain other psychologists will do the same in future before they start making their wild claims. There, now I've got that off my chest, I feel strangely better.

Article Source: The Psychologist, 22 (4), 293.

Image Source