According to recent studies, it will do both. For people who are confined to a wheelchair and/or have limited use of their limbs, the act of socializing through online communities is often the most accessible and convenient.
Accessibility, though, doesn’t always equal well-being. In a report by Susan M. Miller, she delves into the negative potential in Internet use. While the Web has opened up a wide range of possibilities for those who are disabled, such as greater financial responsibility, independence and a larger range of social interaction to choose from, it can also cut off other types of social support.
It’s important to consider how much your Internet use is actually helping you obtain your goals, be it to balance your check book or to make new friends, and how much it is simply distracting you from your everyday life.
One of the ways to help determine whether or not your Internet usage is beneficial or not is to think about what has changed in your life since you have had regular Internet access. Have you stopped seeing your friends face to face? Do you still participate in activities that require leaving the computer behind?
Balance is important in all aspects of life, and we all know how easy it is to lose that equilibrium, especially when dealing with a difficult injury. Check in with yourself, it doesn’t take long and the results are worth the time!
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