Study: Hateful content on Facebook ‘bad for your brain’

Social networks increase the risk of being exposed to offensive behaviours and hate speeches that could have a harmful effect on people’s mental well-being, it added. To reach this conclusion, authors Fabio Sabatini and Francesco Sarracino from the Sapienza University of Rome and the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques du Grand-Duche […]

Social networks increase the risk of being exposed to offensive behaviours and hate speeches that could have a harmful effect on people’s mental well-being, it added. To reach this conclusion, authors Fabio Sabatini and Francesco Sarracino from the Sapienza University of Rome and the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques du Grand-Duche du Luxembourg explored survey data from 50,000 people in 24,000 Italian households using social networking sites.
According to researchers, many opinions found online can expose people to ideas that challenge their world view, make them feel less exceptional and, when opinions include hateful content, offend them. Online networking exposes individuals to the risk of worsening people’s trust in others and therefore hampering relationships.
Previous research has also found that social networking sites can impact people’s happiness.