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www promotes connections, not loneliness, say experts

Hooray for the internet......the "good" part of it may even deliver health-benefits with it.

Bay Area Living reports:

It's a common belief -- and not just in science fiction novels -- that technology is to blame for many of society's ills. Web surfing makes us more sedentary, cell phones promote rudeness in public, and in general, technology is isolating us even if we have 500 Facebook friends.

"It's (technology) torn us apart," says 30-year-old Joseph Seibel of Oakland as he relaxes near a Piedmont Avenue cafe. "It's compartmentalized us. For the most part, it's been a disadvantage because people get too introverted, too into their computers and phones."

Eurydice Manning, 29, a food server in Oakland, agrees. She frequently sees families come into her restaurant totally disengaged from their dining partners, tapping away at their smart phones.

"Phones interfere with face-to-face relationships," Manning says. "People are really unfocused."
Both might be surprised to learn that experts say that technology actually appears to be building relationships. But it's not unusual for people to think otherwise.

Since 1998, when one of the first studies on the Internet and social isolation came out, people have been repeating its conclusions that technology, specifically the Internet, is increasing our sense of loneliness. A 2003 study confirmed this and in 2007, when a 40-year-old London woman was found dead in her apartment two years after she passed, the buzz these studies created turned into a media uproar.

Yet the inference that technology and the Internet is making us feel more lonesome may simply be incorrect, researchers say today. Yes, loneliness does affect a broad spectrum of people, but technology cannot be the only scapegoat.

In fact, a Pew Internet & American Life Project study released last year says the opposite of what previous studies assert: People who use technology have notable social advantages. They stay in touch and share information in ways that keep them socially active and connected to their communities. This is especially true with online social networking, which wasn't around in 1998 or 2003. And for senior citizens, using technology can keep the brain healthy."

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