Do people become depressed because they are addicted to the Internet or turn to the Internet because they're depressed?
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LONDON: People who spend their days glued to networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter are more likely to be depressed, a new UK study has revealed.
A team of researchers at the University of Leeds have conducted the first large-scale survey of its kind to find a link between Internet and depression.
"The Internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side," said psychologist Catriona Morrison, lead author of the study, which is published in the journal Psychopathology today.
18 of 1,319 participants "addicted"
The survey was administered online, with adverts placed on social-networking sites, and 1,319 people took the tests. Participants were asked to answer questions in an Internet Addiction Test, Internet Function Test (to see what people use the internet for most) and the Beck Depression Inventory.
Morrison and her team found that 18 respondents were 'internet addicted'. When matched against non-addicted Internet users within the survey, the difference in depression ratings was significant; the addicts showed higher levels of depression than their non-addicted counterparts.
In addition, the team found a correlation between the type of sites visited, and the level of user addiction. According to the study, Internet addicts spent more time on "sexually gratifying websites, gaming websites, and online community/chat," whereas the non-addicted group perused a wider range of sites.
Cause or effect?
But Morrison acknowledged some caveats to the study. The Internet Addiction Test, although a useful tool in studying this modern age addiction is not a foolproof method of diagnosis. New tests incorporating measures of social isolation and loneliness may provide a more accurate measure to continue research in this area.
The study also leaves many questions unanswered. Having found a correlation, future studies may try to determine the cause. Do people become depressed because they are addicted to the Internet or turn to the Internet because they're depressed?
"What is clear," said Morrison, "is that for a small subset of people, excessive use of the Internet could be a warning signal for depressive tendencies."
Given similar correlations with other addictions, the results of this study may not come as a surprise. Henry Jackson, psychologist at the University of Melbourne said "we know there is a strong [link] between other forms of addiction [such as alcohol and drugs] … and depression."
Morrison hopes future studies of Internet users will help define what this link might be. "We now need to consider the wider societal implications of this relationship and establish clearly the effects of excessive Internet use on mental health."
Cause and effect ?
I would have thought a more suitable title would have been "Depressed people more likely to be addicted to Internet". Just as correct a summary of the study's findings and without the unspoken assumption that the Internet is to blame.