October 10, 2007
The lure of social media sites is just one of a growing number of obstacles to a fit nation. Parents and educators are increasingly justified in their concern with adolescent obesity.
Picture this. Junior high school students hurry home, grab a snack and scurry to their bedrooms so they can get up to speed on various topics of the day using their network of friends on Facebook or Myspace. It’s cool to be among the first to comment that day on outfits worn, relationships made or broken, homework assigned or teachers discussed. It is not cool to lose touch with these topics or to be late among commenters.
The social pressure to demonstrate constant online connectedness can be significant and potentially addictive. It is troublesome when time spent online replaces physical activity, interferes with good eating habits, or distracts people from stimulating verbal conversation.
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