Some people develop a compulsive Internet habit, such as socializing online through social media and chat rooms instead of meeting people directly. Several researchers have concluded through a study that people who did this were more likely to have depression than other Internet users.
“The Internet now plays an important part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a dark side,” study lead author Catriona Morrison, of the University of Leeds, said in a teaching center news release. “Although many of us use the Internet to pay bills, shop and send emails, to the point that it interferes with your daily activities.
Loss of track of time
- The study, which has been published in the journal Psychopathology, looked at 1,319 people aged 16 to 51, and found that 1.2 percent were addicted to the Internet. Those who were labeled “Internet addicts” also had a higher incidence of moderate to severe depression, the researchers found.
- “Our research indicates that excessive Internet use is associated with depression, but we don’t know which comes first: Are depressed people prone to Internet use or does the Internet cause depression?” Morrison wondered. “What is clear is that, for a small subgroup of people, excessive Internet use could be a warning sign of depressive tendencies.”