<p>Are you exposed to reading homophobic, racist, misogynistic or other hateful content on Facebook? It may have a harmful effect on your brain in the long run.<br /><br /></p>.<p>According to a recent Italian study, the use of online networks may threaten subjective well-being in several ways.<br /><br />Social networks increase the risk of being exposed to offensive behaviours and hate speeches that could have a harmful effect on people's mental well-being, it added.<br /><br />To reach this conclusion, authors Fabio Sabatini and Francesco Sarracino from the Sapienza University of Rome and the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques du Grand-Duche du Luxembourg explored survey data from 50,000 people in 24,000 Italian households using social networking sites .<br /><br />According to researchers, many opinions found online can expose people to ideas that challenge their world view, make them feel less exceptional and, when opinions include hateful content, offend them.<br /><br />Online networking exposes individuals to the risk of worsening people's trust in others and therefore hampering relationships.<br /><br />"This finding suggests the need to update social networking sites' policies against hate speech and aggressive behaviours, as already requested by a growing number of advocacy groups, particularly focusing on gender and race-based hate," the authors concluded.<br /><br />Previous research has also found that social networking sites can impact people's happiness.</p>
<p>Are you exposed to reading homophobic, racist, misogynistic or other hateful content on Facebook? It may have a harmful effect on your brain in the long run.<br /><br /></p>.<p>According to a recent Italian study, the use of online networks may threaten subjective well-being in several ways.<br /><br />Social networks increase the risk of being exposed to offensive behaviours and hate speeches that could have a harmful effect on people's mental well-being, it added.<br /><br />To reach this conclusion, authors Fabio Sabatini and Francesco Sarracino from the Sapienza University of Rome and the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques du Grand-Duche du Luxembourg explored survey data from 50,000 people in 24,000 Italian households using social networking sites .<br /><br />According to researchers, many opinions found online can expose people to ideas that challenge their world view, make them feel less exceptional and, when opinions include hateful content, offend them.<br /><br />Online networking exposes individuals to the risk of worsening people's trust in others and therefore hampering relationships.<br /><br />"This finding suggests the need to update social networking sites' policies against hate speech and aggressive behaviours, as already requested by a growing number of advocacy groups, particularly focusing on gender and race-based hate," the authors concluded.<br /><br />Previous research has also found that social networking sites can impact people's happiness.</p>