Facebook users live longer than social network refuseniks

[Dark Vader]

Social network sites are often criticised for killing communities and putting children in danger, but a new study suggests they could actually help people live longer.

A study of 12 million Facebook users found that using the site regularly lowered the risk of death in any given year by 12 per cent.

It is thought that sites like Facebook help people maintain and enhance real-world relationships which are known to be crucial for survival.

Previous studies have shown that people who have stronger social networks tend to live longer, but it is the first research to show the same is true for the online world.

"Happily, for almost all Facebook users, what we found is balanced use and a lower risk of mortality, “ said James Fowler, professor of political science at the University of California San Diego.

"The association between longevity and social networks was identified in 1979 and has been replicated hundreds of times since.

"Social relationships seem to be as predictive of lifespan as smoking, and more predictive than obesity and physical inactivity. We're adding to that conversation by showing that online relationships are associated with longevity, too."

The researchers matched Facebook users in California with records from the California Department of Public Health, counts of online activity over six months and comparing the activity of those still living to those who had died.

In a given year, the average Facebook user is about 12 percent less likely to die than someone who doesn't use the site.

Those on Facebook with highest levels of offline social integration – as measured by posting more photos, which suggests face-to-face social activity – had the greatest longevity.

People with average or large social networks, in the top 50 to 30 percent, lived longer than those in the lowest 10 – a finding consistent with classic studies of offline relationships and longevity.

Facebook users who accepted the most friendships also lived the longest, which researchers say could suggest that being popular also helps people to live longer.

However, the researchers say that it could be that individuals who are more likely to live longer are more attractive to others in the first place.

"Interacting online seems to be healthy when the online activity is moderate and complements interactions offline," said William Hobbs, postdoctoral fellow at Northeastern University, in Boston, Massachusetts.

"It is only on the extreme end, spending a lot of time online with little evidence of being connected to people otherwise, that we see a negative association."

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

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