Too much Facebook may lead to psychological disorders such as antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies in teenagers, according to a study carried out by Psychology Professor Larry Rosen at the California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Professor Rosen presented his research at the 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association which states that social media has its advantages and risks to children, and parents who try to block their children’s of networking are wasting their time as it is quite easy for teenagers of today to find loopholes. The presentation was titled Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids.

The most important negative effects that Rosen highlighted were:

The most significant negative effects that were highlighted were:

Development of narcissism in teens who often use Facebook

Presence of other psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies, in teens who have a strong Facebook presence

Increased absence from school and likelihood of developing stomach aches, sleeping problems, anxiety and depression, in teens who “overdose” in technology on a daily basis, including Facebook and video games

Lower grades for middle school, high school and college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period;

Lower reading retention rates for students who most frequently had Facebook open on their computers during the 15-minute study period.

The presentation also highlighted one of the more interesting and positive effects of using Facbeook — the development of virtual empathy, which increases the ability in teens to show empathy for distressed Facebook friends, positively influencing their mood and provide tools for teaching in compelling ways that engage young students.