A story in USA Today examined the debate between the physiological and psychological benefits of social networks. The piece attempts to debunk notions that too much time spent connecting with friends online detract — and devalue — the benefits of physical interaction (an argument akin to what people say about the change from snail mail to email, or from honking a car horn to texting “im outside”). The positive outlook on social networking can be summed up in this passage:

For the most part, being part of a social network is good for you, research suggests. For example, a study in this month’s Scientific American Mind finds that social support and social networking offer benefits, from additional resilience to greater life satisfaction to reducing the risk of health problems. Other studies in the past two years have found that feeling like a part of a larger group helps in stroke recovery and memory retention and boosts overall well-being.

Phewf! That’s a relief.

The opposition — as there always is — contends that social networks are “programmed to make money,” under the guise of bringing individuals closer (isn’t that also what can be said about fraternities and sororities…or many groups for that matter?) The problem, though, appears to be serious, marked by the opening of the first U.S. residential treatment center for Internet addiction this summer in Washington state.

 In “Twitter: Social Media for the Sophisticated User?,” I covered a report by Anderson Analytics a little over two months ago and the findings definitely do echo those covered in the USA Today news story. A finding I found amusing at the time was this tidbit:

Among members of the Gen Y generation who regularly use social networks, 55 percent are more likely to self-report happiness compared to 35 percent of nonusers. Moreover, 60 percent of Gen Y social networkers were reportedly dating or in a relationship, compared to 30 percent of nonusers.