Computer Users Prone to Depression
Source: Los Angeles Times
Are so-called “addictive” Internet searchers putting their emotional health at risk? Psychologists in Britain seem to suggest so.
Though almost everyone uses the Internet to conduct business, connect with people, pay bills or find information, the people who spend hours each day aimlessly surfing the Net appear more likely to be depressed.
Psychologists at the University of Leeds in Britain evaluated the Internet use and depression levels of 1,319 people ages 16 to 51. Of this group, 18 people (1.2%) were classified as Internet-addicted. When these 18 people were compared with 18 similar people who were not Internet-addicted, the researchers saw striking differences in depression. The 18 non-addicted people were not depressed while the 18 Internet-addicted people were classified, as a group, as moderately to severely depressed.
The addicted people tended to use the Internet more for sexual gratification, gaming and chat rooms, compared with the non-addicts. The authors of the paper, published in the journal Psychopathology, concluded that these people were replacing real-life socializing with Internet surfing.
D’Ya Think?
Significant time spent online in chat rooms, searching the net for social connections or sexual gratification are rooted in isolationism, experts suggest. It’s one thing to spend hours watching comedy movies online, shopping, or doing research. But then the normal surfing session for a funny movie download turns into a habitual way of life and a replacement for real-time connection offline, the harder it becomes to interact without anxiety and the more prone we humans are to depression or depressive thinking.
They say, however, that it’s not clear which comes first: the Internet addiction followed by depression or depression followed by Internet addiction. Regardless of the answer to that question, depression and heavy Internet use appear to be a bad mix.
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My Take: I know I get a little nutty after a full day chatting online with friends or searching Facebook for old boyfriends. I’ll admit it: it’s almost as addictive as watching a model train circle the make-believe city over and over again. You want out, but toy train sets have a way of keeping you gripped to the controls for hours without realizing the time.
Experts have long been looking into whether the light from the computer screen, has any impact on brain activity and depression. The jury is still out on that one. halogen light bulbs are pretty much useless when it comes to depression studies, however, there are manufacturers producing neodymium bulbs, that put out light that is extremely similar to actual sunlight, effectively offsetting the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder or SADs.
I had SAD when I lived in London for two years and I would have done anything on some days just to see some California sunshine pouring through the curtains of my garden flat. It happened on occasion, maybe three or four times every month or so.
At the time, there was also no such thing as a “non-smoking” section in public places. Today, thankfully, those rules are changing as more and Brits become hip to some form of smoking alternative and give them up for good. For now, might be a good idea to turn the country on to the electronic cigarette, and, for those who don’t already know about it, offer the ability to puff smoke free in public places and give non-smokers a real break.
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