Darker side to the net as depression linked to web usage

People who spend a lot of time on the Internet are more likely to be depressed – or at least show depressive symptoms. That’s according to new research from the University of Leeds that suggests there’s a “darker side” to the role the web is playing in our lives.

A warning signal

The psychologists behind the study looked at the responses given by 1,319 people to an online questionnaire, to which the willing guinea pigs had been directed from external links on social networking websites. They were all asked questions posed to yield data on both their net usage and their state of mental well-being. In a project that’s been billed as the first of its kind in the West, those who took part were aged between 16 and 51; the average age was quite young: 21 years old.

The headline finding of the research is that it appears there is a strong link between heavy Internet usage and depression – though it’s difficult to resolve which is the cause and which is the effect. It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, as lead researcher Dr Catriona Morrison explains: “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.”

Internet addicts

The researchers say some respondents have developed what they call a “compulsive Internet habit” in that they’re using social-networking sites and online chat rooms to try and fill a void in their life left by the absence of real-world social interaction. Eighteen of the respondents, however, were characterised instead as being “Internet addicts” due to the sheer amount of time they spend on websites based around sex, gambling and online communities; this was the equivalent of 1.2 per cent of the survey group.

“The Internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side,” Dr Morrison continues.”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.” Of course, you could argue that only a small subset of the population would spend their time filling in online questionnaires.

But wait – isn’t it eerie how much these findings appear to obey the laws of common sense? ”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,” says Dr 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.”

Controversially uncontroversial

Despite the findings appearing relatively uncontroversial – i.e. that depressed people may be trying to make friends on the Internet or engaging in other, less noble endeavours to fill their time – that hasn’t stopped various experts coming out to state even less controversial views.

“There are genuinely people who are depressed or anxious who use the Internet to the exclusion of the rest of their lives, but there are similar people who watch too much TV, bury themselves in books or go shopping to excess,” Dr Vaughan Bell, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, told the BBC. ”There is no good evidence that the problem is the Internet itself.”

“To the extent that the Internet encourages meaningful friendships and social connections it can be a very good influence on people’s lives,” added Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation. ”However, social interaction online should not usually replace an offline social life. We should take note of this study’s findings – it suggests that further research in the area is needed.”

Could it be the case that the sex and gambling industries are profiting from depressed people seeking gratification but who really need help? Do chat rooms cause depression, or merely welcome it? And what sort of a person fills in an online questionnaire anyway? The possibilities for such further research are surely endless.