Facebook and Twitter have created a generationobsessed with themselves, who have short attention spans and a childlike desire for constant feedback on their lives, a top scientist believes.
Repeated exposure to social networking sites leaves users with an 'identitycrisis', wanting attention in the manner of a toddlersaying: 'Look at me, Mummy, I've done this.'
Baroness Greenfield, professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, believes the growth of internet 'friendships' - as well as greater use of computer games - could effectively 'rewire' the brain.
This can result in reduced concentration, a need for instantgratification and poor non-verbal skills, such as the ability to make eye contact during conversations.
More than 750million people across the world use Facebook to share photographs and videos and post regular updates of their movements and thoughts. Millions have also signed up to Twitter, the 'micro-blogging' service that lets members circulate short text and picture messages about themselves.
Baroness Greenfield, former director of research body the Royal Institution, said: 'What concerns me is the banality of so much that goes out on Twitter.
'Why should someone be interested in what someone else has had for breakfast? It reminds me of a small child (saying): "Look at me Mummy, I'm doing this", "Look at me Mummy I'm doing that".
'It's almost as if they're in some kind of identitycrisis. In a sense it's keeping the brain in a sort of time warp.'
The academic suggested that some Facebook users feel the need to become 'mini celebrities' who are watched and admired by others on a daily basis. They do things that are 'Facebook worthy' because the only way they can define themselves is by 'people knowing about them'.
'It's almost as if people are living in a world that's not a real world, but a world where what counts is what people think of you or (if they) can click on you,' she said.
'Think of the implications for society if people worry more about what other people think about them than what they think about themselves.'
(Read by Christine Mallari. Christine Mallari is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)
(Agencies)
一位顶尖科学家认为，Facebook和Twitter令新一代人变得自恋、注意力短暂，而且像小朋友那样，渴望得到别人对他们生活的持续回应。 长时间沉迷在社交网络里使用户们产生了"身份认同危机"，就像一个渴望被注意的幼童那样呼唤着："妈妈，看，我做了这个！" 牛津大学药理学教授贝洛尼斯•格林菲尔德认为，网络"友谊"的增长以及电脑游戏的风行，会有效地"改装"人的大脑。 这会导致人的注意力缩短，得到即时满足的需求增加，非语言表达能力变差，比如在对话过程中的眼神交流能力。 全世界有7.5亿多人用Facebook来分享照片、视频，定期更新他们的行踪和思绪。还有上百万人注册了微博Twitter，可以在上面发布与自己有关的短信息和照片。 贝洛尼斯•格林菲尔德曾是英国皇家学院研究机构的主任，他说："令我担忧的是Twitter上充斥着太多的陈词滥调。" "别人早饭吃了什么，这有什么好值得感兴趣的？这让我想起一个小孩一会儿说：'看我，妈妈，我正在做这个'，一会儿又说'看我，妈妈，我在做那个'。 "他们好像陷入了某种身份认同危机。从某种意义上说，这似乎让他们的大脑产生了时间错位。" 这位学者暗示有的Facebook用户们想要变成"微名人"，成天被他人注目，受他人羡慕。他们做着一些"在Facebook上有价值"的事情，因为他们定义自己的唯一方式就是"让人们认识自己"。 她说："人们似乎不是活在真实的世界里，而是活在一个只有别人如何看待你或是否会点击你的页面才重要的世界里。" "如果人们担忧别人怎么看待自己要比自己怎么看待自己来得更多，想想这将给社会带来什么影响。"
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