People who spend a lot of time online are more likely to show signs of depression, according to a study at 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," said Dr. Catriona Morrison.
She said those people are more likely than the average user to spend time on pornography, online gaming and online communities.
"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?," she said.
In the study, young people were more likely to be addicted than middle-aged users, with the average age of the addicted group 21 years, according to a news release on the study.
It said that the work involved studying more than 1,300 people ages 16 to 51. In the group 1.2 percent were considered addicted to the Internet. The release did not define the term, nor talk specifically about addiction rates among various age groups.
"This study reinforces the public speculation that over-engaging in Web sites that serve to replace normal social function might be linked to psychological disorders like depression and addiction," Morrison said.
Editor's note: So stop reading this blog for a little while and go do something else. Really, we'll be fine and we'll be here when you get back.
University of Leeds; AP; Wall Street Journal
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