Too Much Facebook could cause Autism in Children
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Latest claims from Oxford scientist over damage caused to Facebook generation.
In the latest health scare regarding the internet, scientists at Oxford University have warned that children who spend too much time on social networks online could suffer from personality and brain disorders.
Susan Greenfield, a neurologist at Oxford University has claimed that social network sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter can physically “rewire” children’s brains to change their personality.
Ms Greenfield said that too much time spent online would cause children to become more selfish and would severely reduce their attention spans.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ms Greenfield said: “My fear is that these technologies are infantilising the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment.”
Ms Greenfield went on to suggest that the recent rise in child autism could be a direct result of children spending too much time online on popular social networks such as Bebo.
As if it weren’t bad enough that time spent in front of the computer has been demonised and held responsible for increases in violent crime, the corruption of youth and the dissolution of the English language, now it is being promoted as a cause of autism.
One of the key problems with Ms Greenfield’s line of reasoning is that it isn’t actually backed up with any form of scientific evidence.
Ms Greenfield’s opinions are based purely on hypothesis and have yet to be tested by any research.
Social networks are the new fad, and as the likes of Bebo and Facebook grow in dominance, so too do their critics become more extreme.
The last wave of hysteria was over the corrupting influence videogames held over children, inciting violence.
The latest research has actually shown videogames to be beneficial to children, developing better cognitive capacity, problem solving skills, spatial awareness and coordination.
Far from damaging children, social networks help with cohesive social integration; and without some substantive scientific research, the suggestion of autistic repercussions from spending time on social networks, is questionable at best, ludicrous otherwise.
Selfish people are the worst, if this is true my kids won’t be online much…
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I should email you about it.
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Could be they are simply the children of %&£!*£^&$@.
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Pure RUBBISH!!!
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Thank you for enlightening us. My son has early onset autism – I thought possibly caused by his environment and/or genetic fragility.
I now know I shouldn’t have let my 7 month old open a Facebook account! And to think of all the hours he was on his Wii at age 9 months.
So my boy’s autism was caused by his selfishness? There I was worrying it was because I was a ‘refrigerator mother’.
It’s about time we looked seriously at causation people!!
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Why on earth would you open a facebook account for a baby who needs a lot of personal guidance from mom and dad rather than technology to guide his/her growth? People, please wake up, don’t turn your child into psychosis or a serial killer.
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I am no fan of what Facebook et al are doing to suspend people in a state of prolonged adolescence, but it does not cause autism.
My 18 month old child was not yet using a computer when he regressed into autism. A computer didn’t cause his brain encepalopathy, autoimmune disorder or gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Autism is a whole body medical condition that results in cognitive dysfunction. Don’t confuse it with immaturity.
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I’ve heard lots of preposterous autism causation hypotheses before, but this one takes the cake.
The most glaringly obvious hole in this hypothesis is the fact that autistics start to show autistic traits long before they are even capable of accessing the internet (most autistics start to look noticeably autistic at around 1-2 years old, but subtle traits are visible pretty much from birth).
Also, there is much evidence to show that the majority of autism is a genetic neurotype, and that the so-called “autism epidemic” is nothing more than a rise in autism diagnoses and not a rise in the actual prevalence of autism.
Conditions comprised primarily of cognitive impairment are better described as mental retardation than as autism. Because of the nature of the vast majority of autism, the simplest and most reasonable explanation for the majority of diagnoses of (non-syndromal/primary) autism is a neurotype comprised of a large number of interacting genetic traits. There are othe
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The part that got cut off in my last post should have said:
There are other conditions diagnosable as autism (collectively referred to as “syndromal” or “secondary” autism), but the majority of autism is a genetic neurotype (i.e. a genetic difference in brain “wiring”).
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It is such a shame that so many are willing to spout such unsubstantiated rubbish regarding autism.
The dangers of too much virtual interaction replacing real social interaction are real, but this has absolutely nothing to do with autism.
Can the author elaborate as to the physical process which transfers an excess of mercury and other toxins from Facebook into my son?
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“Transfers of mercury and other toxins” better known as “vaccines”…
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This is possibly the stupidest study I’ve ever read. Yes, too much TV/computer time can alter children’s reflex response, thinking, etc., particularly before 5. This has been studied and studied – children’s brains are developing and they need interaction with live caregivers in order to develop.
But autism? Autism is an environmental illness, possibly (but not always) mediated by genetic susceptibility. TV and computer don’t explain the children with autism with chronic mercury intoxication, impaired methylation, acquired mitochondrial dysfunction, GI disorders and immune system impairment.
We’re all getting sick of these bogus red herring studies meant to draw attention away from the more likely environmental causes of autism – jabs, pollution and, in terms of facilitation, certain drugs, pesticides and the like.
Oxford is so embedded with pharmaceutical interests at this point that it’s going to have to incorporate as a “science for sale” outfit.
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This is just stupid. I’ve read the comments and I don’t think there is anything else to add. Well, apart from the idea that this stuff reduces attention spans is carrying over from the ADHD hysteria, because there is nothing in the autism criteria or literature about a reduced attention span!
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Autism is a problem in certain brain areas’ development that occurs in the most cases during pregnancy… but Facebook or social networks… I am agreed that possibly the electromagnetic radiation in cellular phones, CRT, LCD, computer and microwaves amongst many other radiation sources can affect us as parents and we can transmit that into our children, but that is the other way around.
I had an autistic son, I am software engineer and spend 14 hours in front of the computer for the last 15 years, and like many computer specialists and engineers have autistic children, so that is a pattern… but Facebook, please, stop the BS about something that is a real epidemic and nobody says anything…
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Children with autism are likely to spend excessive time using computers as opposed to engaging in live social interaction. The disorder causes them to be attracted to electronic activity, not the reverse.
I can’t believe some idiots are still claiming vaccines cause autism. That’s been disproven over and over and over. It’s GENETIC!
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My son was showing signs of autism before he was a year old. I guess I should have never let my 10 month old sit behind the computer talking to his friends on Facebook all day! Boy, if I had ONLY KNOWN! HA HA HA
As far as the vaccines go: my sister has two severely autistic children. The oldest (girl) had her vaccinations, so my sister refused to have her boy vaccinated after that. He never received the first vaccination and is more severe than her. I’d like for someone to explain that to me. If it’s all vaccinations then how is THAT possible?
I agree with a previous poster. The reason that autism is so prevalent now is NOT that we are seeing more of it. It’s because it’s finally being diagnosed for what it is. Instead of labeling these kids as bad kids, they are finally seeing the problem. I say amen for that. My son is high functioning and had he not been diagnosed he would have been labeled a bad kid or stupid for the rest of his life. Because he has a diagnosis now, he’s made
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the honor roll at school for the first time in his life. He’s in 4th grade! I’m so proud of my smart boy!
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I think some doctors and agency have to make sure of their income source: so too much thinking, research, etc about autosism, ADD…so on. Come on , there are man made desease, so a particular group can earn some money.
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Just a couple days ago they announced that vaccines do not cause autism, so stop blaming them.
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That is complete bulls**t.
The most likely cause of autism is genetics.
*facepalm*
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… and it sure wasn’t me!
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