Facebook May Have Impact On Your Health

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The numbers are staggering: over 1.5 billion people belong to Facebook. But, can time on Facebook have an impact on your health? - and is that impact good or bad?

Scientists have been looking at the health effects and a recent study of 82 people with Facebook accounts and smartphones has given us a inside look. Researchers texted these participants five times a day for two weeks and asked how they were feeling as well as their Facebook use.

What they found is that there is a downside. The more people logged on, the more likely they were to feel unhappy at any given moment.

Over the course of the two-week study frequent Facebook users felt dissatisfied with their lives. Some theories: if you are on Facebook a great deal you might be replacing your exercise time with more scrolling. We know physical exercise improves outlook.

You don't have to abandon Facebook but set limits. Use common sense.