On Virtual Socialization

While trying to get acquainted with the cyberworld, I noticed that more and more virtual communities are being formed. Millions of people are interacting through social networks, like facebook.  I’m even a member a several networks. 

I believe it’s not bad to make as many friends in several virtual communities. What may be bad is when we use most of our time socializing or interacting with our virtual friends in our networks.

As a parent of three teenagers, I am beginning to become threatened by my children’s “over socialization” with their friends in facebook. They spend every vacant time they have checking on their friends’ comments, answering those comments, etc. even until the wee hours of the night.

In an article I read, spending too little time for sleep is not good for the health. So, I keep on discouraging my children to spend so much time in the internet, interacting with their virtual friends. Sometimes they listen, most of the times they do not. I’m afraid that if this problem of too much virtual socialization among the young generation cannot be curbed, it would result to undesirable consequences, like poor health, poor performance in school, and lesser personal interaction with parents and other members of the family at home.