Teenagers who use the Internet too much are more likely to be depressed, especially if they surf the Net as entertainment, according to a new study from China.
Researchers from the Chinese Education Ministry studied the Internet habits of 1401 teenagers, and found that about 6 percent were using the Internet in "pathological" ways. When the researchers followed up nine months later, the teens addicted to the web were one and a half times more likely to feel or develop depression.
"The results suggest that young people who are initially free of mental health problems, but use the Internet pathologically could develop depression as a consequence," the authors wrote in a report published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
The teens in this study most likely to be addicted to the Internet were more likely to use it for entertainment rather than for studying or gathering information.
Labels: mental_health, internet, depresion, online_safety
Posted By: Jane St. Clair