Health & Medicine - Posted by Richard Ashby-Leeds on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 22:48 - 7 Comments 
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(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...Internet addicts download depression
A new study suggests that people with compulsive internet habits may suffer from depression more than regular users. “Our research indicates that excessive internet use is associated with depression, but what we don’t know is which comes first—are depressed people drawn to the internet or does the internet cause depression?” says lead researcher Catriona Morrison. (Courtesy: iStockPhoto with some additional amendments)
U. LEEDS (UK)—People who spend a lot of time browsing the net are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West.
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Researchers at the University of Leeds found striking evidence that some users have developed a compulsive internet habit, whereby they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. The results suggest that this type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental health.
“The internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side,” says lead author Catriona Morrison, from the University of Leeds. “While many of us use the internet to pay bills, shop, and send emails, there is a small subset of the population who find it hard to control how much time they spend online, to the point where it interferes with their daily activities.”
These ‘internet addicts’ spent proportionately more time browsing sexually gratifying websites, online gaming sites, and online communities. They also had a higher incidence of moderate to severe depression than non-addicted users.
“Our research indicates that excessive internet use is associated with depression, but what we don’t know is which comes first—are depressed people drawn to the internet or does the internet cause depression?
“What is clear, is that for a small subset of people, excessive use of the internet could be a warning signal for depressive tendencies.”
Incidents such as the spate of suicides among teenagers in the Welsh town of Bridgend in 2008 led many to question the extent to which social networking sites can contribute to depressive thoughts in vulnerable teenagers. In the Leeds study, young people were more likely to be internet addicted than middle-aged users, with the average age of the addicted group standing at 21 years.
“This study reinforces the public speculation that over-engaging in websites that serve to replace normal social function might be linked to psychological disorders like depression and addiction,” adds Morrison. “We now need to consider the wider societal implications of this relationship and establish clearly the effects of excessive internet use on mental health.”
This was the first large-scale study of Western young people to consider the relationship between internet addiction and depression. The internet use and depression levels of 1,319 people aged 16-51 were evaluated for the study, and of these, 1.2 percent were classed as being internet addicted. While small, this figure is larger than the incidence of gambling in the UK, which stands at 0.6 percent. The research will be published in the journal Psychopathology on February 10.
University of Leeds news: www.leeds.ac.uk/news
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7 Comments
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Sushanta
Interesting!!
Kappus
It’s definitely really interesting.. The internet, social networks, massive multiplayer games; all offer an escape to people in some capacity. Often they dwell on the illusion that you’re achieving something. Similar to this is the use of drugs.
Pomroy
Yes, similar to drugs. Only, those who healthily and responsibly enjoy the internet aren’t arrested and treated like criminals, and those who escape their problems into the internet will be pitied and offered help and have their problem treated, instead of being looked down upon, outcast from society and thrown in jail like a worthless being.
Mmmmm, what a world we live in.
More on topic: i believe that it’s people who HAVE problems already, find comfort and solace in the internet, which then becomes their version of whatever they’re using it to replace. This in turn, could lead to the problems becoming more severe.
BUT, if anything, I believe it can help or hinder the problem, but not create what isn’t there. Not to say that someones ‘problem’ couldn’t be tolerable, then degrade into being problematic, just not create the problem altogether.
Wintery
I don’t agree with the article. I get the “winter blues” (read Seasonal Affective Disorder) for 3-4 months out of the year. I don’t get depressed because I surf the Internet. I surf the Internet during those months because I don’t care enough to do anything else. I don’t want to leave my house. I don’t really care what’s on TV. I don’t really feel like talking. Even though I am detached and get a little sad, I know my life is pretty awesome and there’s no reason for me to have days of absolute hopelessness. But they happen. I know it’s just my brain chemicals making me this way though. I constantly fight it off December through March. But I surf the Internet year round. I am able to surf the Internet at work and so I spend roughly 12-16 hours a day clicking through websites.Both when I’m “normal” and when I’m depressed. The Internet doesn’t make me depressed. In fact, even in this state of depression, I am still gently amazed by at least two or three webpages a day. I like learning about stuff from around the world. Weird stuff, crafty stuff, funny stuff and science stuff. I think the correlations being made here are flawed. Depressed people might use the Internet more, but I do not believe that the Internet is what makes them depressed.
Pomroy
Wintery got the idea. SAD = also causes me to spend an abnormal amount of time on the PC in the winter.
This is definitely me! I make myself sick (and know I’m making myself sick), skip class, don’t do homework, am late to work, don’t answer the phone, etc. because I can’t get off the internet and can’t keep myself from getting back on.
But part of the problem is that I don’t have real-life friends in the first place and don’t know how to make them. Or if I do, my depression and anxiety symptoms often drive them away. I’m highly aware of being trapped, but when I try to stay away from the internet, I often enough realize that life is pretty bad offline. But, honestly, I do have plenty of incentives to stay off.
Another thing I do is use the internet to regulate my emotions. When I feel so bad that I can’t do anything else but lie around miserably ruminating, at least I can distract myself by grabbing the laptop.