Use Facebook, Get low grades?

There's a new reason to stay away from Facebook, if a new study from Ohio PhD candidates is to be believed. According to the study, college students who use the social network have significantly lower grade-point averages  than those who do not. The study surveyed undergraduate and graduate students and found that GPAs of Facebook users typically ranged a full grade point lower than those of nonusers. But the study also says that most of Facebook members did not believe there was any link between their GPA and their networking habits.

The authors clarify that the study does not suggest that Facebook directly causes lower grades, merely that there's some relationship between the two factors. "Maybe [Facebook users] are just prone to distraction. Maybe they are just procrastinators," said one of the authors.

Hmm, does the study indicate that I, and my 90 friends, are less intelligent? Or if not, are we procrastinators? Or are we easily distracted?

Other earlier studies have warned that social networks were "infantilizing the brain into the state of small children" by shortening the attention span and providing constant instant gratification. A new book, iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, warns of desensitizing effects of social networks and other modern technology to reading real-life facial expressions and understanding the emotional context of subtle gestures.

The study may have its flaws and there are definitely other distractions aside from the social network sites. Facebook tries to defend itself by pointing out a study released earlier this month showing that personal Internet use at work can help focus workers' concentration and increase productivity. Facebook also said that "it's in the hands of students, in consultation with their parents, to define priorities and decide how to spend their time." That is equally true with the workforce and management. Facebook is saying don't blame us, blame the users.

People do spend a lot of time logged onto Facebook. A Nielsen report earlier revealed that social networks are the fastest rising segment of the Internet. Educators are iked with students who post messages more than listen to lectures. Management is equally up in arms. Offices have banned Facebook, etal., on their corporate computer networks. But there's no stopping this surge.

I found a lot of former classmates through the social networks, particularly Facebook. We are now happily reminiscing, catching up, and once again sharing heartaches, pleasures, ideas. Facebook did its function famously, it connected me with my past friends. It is the educators' and management's turn to find ways to do their jobs amidst these technological innovations.

Everything is connected

We are none of us alone; Even as we exhale, it is inhaled by others; The light that shines upon me, shines upon my neighbor as well; In this way, everything is connected to everything else; In this way, I am connected to my friend even as I am connected to my enemy; In this way, there is no difference between me and my friend; In this way, there is no difference between me and my enemy; We are none of us alone.

These lines are from my new favorite TV show, "Life", about a wrongly imprisoned cop who got his job back and now does police detective work with Zen. In this age of hyper-connectivity, with all the social networking sites and tools around, indeed now we are none of us alone.

Social networking is the new global consumer phenomenon. According to a Nielsen report, two-thirds of the world’s Internet population visit a social network or blogging site and the sector now accounts for almost 10% of all internet time. Social network and blogsites has overtaken personal email to become the world’s fourth most popular online sector after search, portals and PC software applications.

Facebook has become the dominant player in social networking sites. The phenomenal increase in the amount of time people are spending on these sites is changing the way people spend their time online and affects how people behave, share and interact within their normal daily lives. According to the same Nielsen report time spent on social network and blogging sites grew at over 3x the rate of overall Internet growth. In terms of audience numbers the greatest growth for Facebook, for instance, has come from people aged 35-49 years of age. My school mates and I belong to that demographics. It is not surprising that after more than 35 years we meet again online.

Among Filipinos, Friendster got an early foothold in the market. But its ornate design appeals more to the younger set. Some say it is 'jologs' and Facebook is the 'sosyal' version. I do have accounts in almost all the various platforms because I invariably accept all account invitations sent my way, but I actively maintain only my FB account.

I joined Facebook to keep in touch with fellows I met in a conference and to meet new ones that share the same passion for RSS for banks' online communications and other web applications. It is pure serendipity that I got in touch with elementary school classmates as well. With Internet search and social networking sites, I managed to track down several more classmates and friends and relatives. I hope that soon everyone will be connected with everyone, again.

Easter Master 4

Whew! Tiger was gone, so was Phil. With Kenny Perry up by 2 with 2 holes to go, I went to the office thinking that there will be no more drama to unfold in the Masters. Dead wrong. I have thought it was for Kenny Perry to lose. But I thought he'd lose it to Tiger. Kenny choked and lost it alright, but to Angel Cabrera, in a playoff. Seems people named Perry are in a funk nowadays. Sayang!

Easter Master 3

Tiger bogeyed the last two holes to bow out of the championship. Phil also bogeyed the last hole to stay 1 up on Tiger. He still has a chance if the leader bungle it on the remaining holes. But I am equally rooting for Kenny Perry. With Tiger out of it, wtaching the game suddenly became less exciting. I expect less drama to unfold.

Time to prepare for work now.

Easter Master 2

Tiger birdied the 16th. Phil saved par. Both are now just 1 behind Kenny Perry, who is just missed a birdie on the 11th by less than the diameter of the ball. Tough. He is just 1 up on Tiger and Phil. This must be nerve wracking for him.

Tiger bogeyed the 17th. While Phil missed another one of those short putts and the chance to inch closer to the leader. He saved par but is still 2 behind the leader, Kenny Perry, who just birdied the 12th. With the missed birdie on the 11th, this one on the 12th and with Tiger and Phil failing to gain further ground, Kenny Perry should be poised enough to win this one. Go Perry, go!.