SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HEALTHY HABITS

Everyone knows it’s easier to quit a bad habit or finish a workout routine when you have someone else doing it with you for support.  A recent article from The Gazette ties this idea of moral support into online social networks.

The Framingham Heart Study argues that healthy behaviors are contagious.  If this is the case, it will provide an immense opportunity for online social networks.  When it comes to support, the Internet provides instant access to millions of people who are all struggling with similar circumstances.

Interaction in outlets such as Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter provide a sense of anonymity and comfort that face-to-face interaction can’t always provide, making it easier to communicate with others in your situation.

So, for someone trying to quit smoking, there’s the constant Tweeting of an online friend reminding you every hour not to take that smoke break.  For someone coping with a disease, there’s a MySpace or Facebook group to find solutions to a current struggle that you are having.  Also, there are many niche networks with forums and other dialogue tools that allow for communities to be built around these causes.  It will be interesting to see the effect of this type of interaction in increasing healthy behavior compared to existing channels of support.