Did you know that studies have been done on the effects of facebook on obesity and credit card debt? Probably even more, but I’ll have to check later. This particular study looked at self-esteem and self-control and their link to obesity and credit card debt. The researchers found that people who spend a lot of time on facebook also have a higher tendency to be overweight/obese and to have higher credit card debt.
So does it necessarily follow that facebook could cause diabetes? I guess it’s all how you look at it. We know that lifestyle habits can contribute to someone’s risk for diabetes, although that are several factors involved (this may be one of them). But spending a lot of time on facebook means spending less time being active, which isn’t great for any of us. The researchers were also looking at people’s tendency to eat high-calorie foods while “facebooking.”
I don’t tend to eat while I’m on facebook, but I’m quite sure that if I went for a walk or climbed the stairs every time I would have gone on facebook, I would be that much healthier. The self-control muscle is all the same, whether we’re using it to exercise, to make healthy food choices, or to avoid spending too much time on social networks. I think I’ll go take a walk!