Message boards - bad for your health?

[tigerbob]

I was watching Face the Nation this morning, andf there was a brief segment on a new study in the BMJ that links happiness with health. Specifically, it concludes that "people’s happiness is influenced by, among other things, the happiness of their acquaintances, particularly first degree relatives, close friends, neighbours, and coworkers."

bmj.com:

Given that the majority of posts on this message board are the left slinging mud and the right and vice versa, it made me wonder, are people who spend a lot of time on message boards more likely to be unhappy people?

After all, with the exception of a few threads, the majority of posts seem to be negative in their overall tone. In addition, it is a fairly well established fact that people post things that they would generally not say in a face to face conversation.

If remote conversation is less likely to be pleasant, and therefore more likely to cause resentment rather than happiness, are message board users typing themselves towards an early grave?

 

[sky dancer]

Tiger--

This is an excellent topic for discussion. Here is an article on forum addiction. I think it support your OP premise:
Effective Online Forum Usage by Steve Pavlina

We do influence each other. How do we want to be influenced and to influence others? For the positive? Or the negative?

 

[tigerbob]

Tiger--

This is an excellent topic for discussion. Here is an article on forum addiction. I think it support your OP premise:
Effective Online Forum Usage by Steve Pavlina

We do influence each other. How do we want to be influenced and to influence others? For the positive? Or the negative?

Interesting article. Fortunately, I only just started posting to this board again after not really visiting at all for 5 months. I'm only posting so much at present because I'm doing a 3 month residential course away from home and, when I'm not studying, I have a lot of spare time on my hands (the apartment I'm renting doesn't have ESPN - bah!).

I suspect that when my course ends in January my use of this board will largely taper off since I will have more important things to do, but well see.

Very interesting article. I see pretty much all members described quite clearly (including myself) in one or more of the descriptions.

 

[sky dancer]

Negative thinking is not critical thinking. There is a difference between a healthy questioning mind, and some skepticism with pervasive cynicism which closes the mind to new ideas.

 

[PoliticalChic]

I was watching Face the Nation this morning, andf there was a brief segment on a new study in the BMJ that links happiness with health. Specifically, it concludes that "people’s happiness is influenced by, among other things, the happiness of their acquaintances, particularly first degree relatives, close friends, neighbours, and coworkers."

bmj.com:

Given that the majority of posts on this message board are the left slinging mud and the right and vice versa, it made me wonder, are people who spend a lot of time on message boards more likely to be unhappy people?

After all, with the exception of a few threads, the majority of posts seem to be negative in their overall tone. In addition, it is a fairly well established fact that people post things that they would generally not say in a face to face conversation.

If remote conversation is less likely to be pleasant, and therefore more likely to cause resentment rather than happiness, are message board users typing themselves towards an early grave?

The arguments get my adenaline going. I find that my mood is elevated after being on message boards. Humans are gregarious by nature, with time being limited these days, message boards are a good, quick way to make connections.

Most of the conversations I have with real people are so mundane and boring. Message boards are so much better. People under the guise of anonymity, are more assertive -- making for more interesting conversation.

Did anybody read the Happiness Study? Did it include message boards or just real people?

 

[sky dancer]

It all depends on how you use the forum, and how you cultivate relationships in RL, IMO.

 

[strollingbones]

not sure about message boards per say but a study a few years ago said the longer you are on the net or the more daily ..the more likely to be depressed...

Web causes depression – official • The Register

CNN.com - Obsessive Internet use poses risk of isolation, depression, researchers say - June 13, 2000

 

[sky dancer]

There is a connection, for sure, strolling bones.

 

[tigerbob]

The arguments get my adenaline going. I find that my mood is elevated after being on message boards. Humans are gargarious by nature, with time being limited these days, message boards are a good, quick way to make connections.

Most of the conversations I have with real people are so mundane and boring. Message boards are so much better. People under the guise of anonymity, are more assertive -- making for more interesting conversation.

Did anybody read the Happiness Study? Did it include message boards or just real people?

Nah, it appears to be interpersonal rather than internet relationships. That said, I didn't read the whole thing, only the first para to each section to see if it interested me.

I could be wrong, but the number of social ties would surely have been larger (approx 50,000) if remote relationships were included. Participants had to self define their relationships and as the study started in the 80s I doubt web connections would have been added as it would have screwed up the methodology and skewed the results.

We used the offspring cohort as the source of 5124 key individuals to study—whom we term "egos." Each ego in this cohort is connected to other people via friendship, family, spousal, neighbour, and coworker relationships.

 

[xsited1]

If a message board makes a person unhappy, they are most likely unhappy to begin with. It's your choice if you want to be unhappy.

 

[strollingbones]

It all depends on how you use the forum, and how you cultivate relationships in RL, IMO.

i think a lot of people on the net are much meaner and nastier than in person...its seems to be like the old arena's for glaidators....men who have been emaniculated by the social system now cyber dick rattle on the net...and women do it to but seem to engage in a more...why how shall i say this...men lie about being men...women i think always pretend to be younger sexier etc....so i guess both lie about the same things....and i think on the net people associate or talk to people they wouldnt give a damn about in rl...or they wouldnt pay them any attention....everyone can be young, wealthy and etc on the net....i have been on other message boards where people have parties etc..regional boards or larger boards where people get personal...that leads to some hellish infighting ....i think people control how personal they want to get on the net....but i think people should realize that they can hurt people with their posts etc...for ever sadist there is a submissive

 

[tigerbob]

not sure about message boards per say but a study a few years ago said the longer you are on the net or the more daily ..the more likely to be depressed...

Web causes depression – official • The Register

CNN.com - Obsessive Internet use poses risk of isolation, depression, researchers say - June 13, 2000

Hmmm, that study is 10 years old and conducted when the net was in its infancy. That said, it does correspond with Sky's link to Steve Pavlina, so maybe things haven't changed that much or (oh dear) got worse.

 

[PoliticalChic]

If a message board makes a person unhappy, they are most likely unhappy to begin with. It's your choice if you want to be unhappy.

People must be getting something positive out of the messageboards otherwise we wouldn't have so many users. It's another outlet for people to express themselves. I believe that the messageboards help men more than women because we don't have a problem expressing ourselves. Maybe it may extend the lives of men...

 

[tigerbob]

If a message board makes a person unhappy, they are most likely unhappy to begin with. It's your choice if you want to be unhappy.

Many a true word spoken in jest.

 

[xsited1]

People must be getting something positive out of the messageboards otherwise we wouldn't have so many users. It's another outlet for people to express themselves. I believe that the messageboards help men more than women because we don't have a problem expressing ourselves. Maybe it may extend the lives of men...

I agree. I love all the differences of opinion here. Some of the posts really make you think.

 

[Againsheila]

I was watching Face the Nation this morning, andf there was a brief segment on a new study in the BMJ that links happiness with health. Specifically, it concludes that "people’s happiness is influenced by, among other things, the happiness of their acquaintances, particularly first degree relatives, close friends, neighbours, and coworkers."

bmj.com:

Given that the majority of posts on this message board are the left slinging mud and the right and vice versa, it made me wonder, are people who spend a lot of time on message boards more likely to be unhappy people?

After all, with the exception of a few threads, the majority of posts seem to be negative in their overall tone. In addition, it is a fairly well established fact that people post things that they would generally not say in a face to face conversation.

If remote conversation is less likely to be pleasant, and therefore more likely to cause resentment rather than happiness, are message board users typing themselves towards an early grave?

I think as will all things, moderation is the key, as well as knowing yourself. I found myself getting angry on the War on Christmas thread, and Willow kept saying just "Merry merry Christmas" which finally got through to me, so I said Goodbye. Of course, I was attacked right away on the "timing". so I ended up completely ignoring the person that was making me mad. I think in a lot of cases what happens on the message boards can affect real life, that's why I try to treat everyone on the boards the same way I would treat them if I were face to face with them. Of course, I have the best discussions at home with people with whom I disagree. Let's face it, if we all think alike, it's a boring world.

 

[PoliticalChic]

I think as will all things, moderation is the key, as well as knowing yourself. I found myself getting angry on the War on Christmas thread, and Willow kept saying just "Merry merry Christmas" which finally got through to me, so I said Goodbye. Of course, I was attacked right away on the "timing". so I ended up completely ignoring the person that was making me mad. I think in a lot of cases what happens on the message boards can affect real life, that's why I try to treat everyone on the boards the same way I would treat them if I were face to face with them. Of course, I have the best discussions at home with people with whom I disagree. Let's face it, if we all think alike, it's a boring world.

I totally agree with you Sheila.

 

[tigerbob]

i think a lot of people on the net are much meaner and nastier than in person...its seems to be like the old arena's for glaidators....men who have been emaniculated by the social system now cyber dick rattle on the net...and women do it to but seem to engage in a more...why how shall i say this...men lie about being men...women i think always pretend to be younger sexier etc....so i guess both lie about the same things....and i think on the net people associate or talk to people they wouldnt give a damn about in rl...or they wouldnt pay them any attention....everyone can be young, wealthy and etc on the net....i have been on other message boards where people have parties etc..regional boards or larger boards where people get personal...that leads to some hellish infighting ....i think people control how personal they want to get on the net....but i think people should realize that they can hurt people with their posts etc...for ever sadist there is a submissive

Very true. As well as young and wealthy they can pretend to be smart - what I always refer to as being an inter-lectual.

Give someone 5 minutes and access to Google and they can shout and scream with the highest paid political lobbyists. In real life, unfortunately, the experience is somewhat different, as face to face conversation reveals their lack of grasp and confused thinking. Maybe that's why so many people prefer it this way. Nobody likes to look stupid.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Very true. As well as young and wealthy they can pretend to be smart - what I always refer to as being an inter-lectual.

Give someone 5 minutes and access to Google and they can shout and scream with the highest paid political lobbyists. In real life, unfortunately, the experience is somewhat different, as face to face conversation reveals their lack of grasp and confused thinking. Maybe that's why so many people prefer it this way. Nobody likes to look stupid.

Also people would be more likely to get into a "shouting" match on the mb than face to face.

 

[tigerbob]

I think as will all things, moderation is the key, as well as knowing yourself. I found myself getting angry on the War on Christmas thread, and Willow kept saying just "Merry merry Christmas" which finally got through to me, so I said Goodbye. Of course, I was attacked right away on the "timing". so I ended up completely ignoring the person that was making me mad. I think in a lot of cases what happens on the message boards can affect real life, that's why I try to treat everyone on the boards the same way I would treat them if I were face to face with them. Of course, I have the best discussions at home with people with whom I disagree. Let's face it, if we all think alike, it's a boring world.

I think when someone pisses you off it's sometimes wise to just ignore them. This has the unfortunate side effect of encouraging them to do it again because they feel they have won, rather than realizing that their opponent his decided they're not worth the wear on the keyboard.

I sometimes lose my temper with people. Did it with Cecilie a couple of days ago. I always regret it later. It doesn't achieve anything.

One thing I liked was Anguille's apology to Ravi the other day. That was really cool. More people should do it.