Facebook, and social media in general, has received flack for its reported negative mental health impact. Many professionals claim that this contemporary phenomena has been related to an upsurge in cases of anxiety, depression, stress, and other internal issues.
However, new studies suggest that there may be a favourable correlation between autism and Facebook. A new behavioural studies report reveals that, if used in moderation, the social media platform can have a positive impact on an autistic adult's cognitive well-being.
The research indicates that the ability to communicate with individuals online, as opposed to more challenging face-to-face encounters, can help with mental health issues commonly associated with ASD, including depression.
"Some studies report that up to 50 percent of adults with ASD have a co-occurring social anxiety disorder. Facebook may provide a safe starting point for training and refinement of conversational skills," admits Brenda K Wiederhold, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, which published the study. "Increased self-confidence in one's abilities may lead to eventual translation of these new skill sets into improved face-to-face interactions."
Researchers from Fielding Graduate University alongside faculty from the University of Virginia have found that while their happiness quotient increased to a certain degree, the overall positive ramifications of social media use weren't particularly robust. These positive findings were not particularly universal, as similar testing with Twitter yielded unfavourable results.