Social disease: Facebook blamed for more syphilis

Facebook increases sexually-transmitted diseases, claims the Telegraph.  Says one Professor Peter Kelly, director of public health in Teesside: 

"There has been a fourfold increase in the number of syphilis cases detected with more young women being affected.

I don't get the names of people affected, just figures, and I saw that several of the people had met sexual partners through these sites.

"Social networking sites are making it easier for people to meet up for casual sex."

There are several wonderful things going on in this report.  One is the classic association of a feared technology with deviant/disliked sexuality.  Another is the effort to add Facebook to the internet's dark side, an effort which seems to be doomed so far.

A third is the favorite media tactic of highlighting the digital aspect of a story not primarily about digital technology.  Here the important fact could be the rise on syphilis, rather than the purported role of Facebook in that disease's spread.  

(thanks to catherwood, Todd Bryant, and the rest of the Infocult legions)

Comments

[D'Arcy Norman]

also, CORRELATION != CAUSATION. people who are on the prowl for casual hookups get more crotch bugs. people who are on the prowl for casual hookups use facebook (and other things). the two are not causally related.