Link Found Between Net Addiction, Depression

i guess im an internet addict. i spend most of my time with my girl having *** when im not using my pc. and i DO get depressed alot lately. now if only i can afford going to the gym.. maybe..

My intuition tells me that depressed people use the internet to forget about real life. There are countless distractions for whatever flavor you enjoy.

Jack Thompson needs to think like this, "Do video games make people more violent or are violent people drawn to violent video games?" Obvious answer but this way of thinking is not too common. (/off topic)

Very interesting article; really makes me wonder.

I used to be a depressed several years ago. I think my life started to seem better once I left my old girlfriend. My internet addiction is probably stronger than it has ever been and I don't think I've ever been happier. Lucky me, right?

Ugh, I'm guessing someone wanted to do their thesis on something up-to-the-minute and exciting.

1319 is a VERY small sample size, especially considering it's self-selected. Self selection would tend to exclude those they are supposedly trying to identify, as those with clinical major depression generally wouldn't respond.

This seems to be such a badly conceived experiment I'd say ignore the article entirely. Not even going to bother critiquing it further, as the two points i mentioned above put it in such shaky territory right out of the gate.

at the moment myself i'm depressed or may be stressed out i have loads of crap to study and i just can't find the will to do it, when i just cant face the words i tend to go to tom's and check for news.
to tell the true, i get depressed when i'm not enjoying people's presence. But who knows i dont see myself as an addict i can spend weeks without internet, hell yes i miss it when i'm bored but i dot die for it either. I had a really crappy day today and thats depressing.

Depressed for a long time, started using the internet for happy instead of drinking or smoking.

@dkz

I sympathise that you're unhappy but I'd guess that you aren't depressed. Depression is not just feeling sad or crappy, it's generally caused by chronic problems with your neurochemistry. Unfortunately the general usage of "depressed" and the clinical use of "depressed" are poles apart.

To get over the problem you're having: try making a task list and breaking down the stuff you need to do into small tasks. Then prioritise that list and do little bits at a time with breaks of specific lengths (e.g., 10-15 mins; not "OK, now I get to read Tom's for a while" but "Now I can read Tom's for 15 mins"). Once you do this, you can generally start to identify how you need to proceed. Facing what you see as a huge task does the same to everyone: Where the hell do I start?!? Oh stuff it, I can forget I have to do anything if I

I am depressed.

I am depressed that this is a topic. Next.

what i dont understand is why they would even question it being the internet...i mean, what element of the internet would have a constant negative influence on people? all you're doing is reading and typing. are they suggesting that playing call of duty with a few friends and reading articles (such as this one) and doing research and checking facebook 5-8 hours a day causes depression?

or, does it sound more likely for the internet to be an escape for people who dont want to deal with their problems/issues...an avoidance. of which people do this all the time with drugs as well as smoking, drinking, sex and many other things. the internet is just a safer, modern version.

ppl just hate the internet and want it to die. XD

I agree with solanis. I suffer from clinical depression, and simply being stressed out and overwhelmed is nowhere near the intensity of real depression. it is completely consuming, so utterly overpowering that it's completely halted my life before. I am addicted to the internet, yes, but it is a symptom of the depression, it doesn't cause it. I use the internet to escape, to try and make myself feel better by entertaining myself.

Who gets paid for these studies? First internet addiction, then game addiction, now the internet might cause depression. Man they will give money to anyone to find a link to anything bad. Here is a little something these researchers should know: Too much of just about anything is bad for you.

I went through a depression for about 2 years. It sucked. To give those who do not know an idea: Your engine is stalled but the wheels are still spinning and with no direction in sight and the gps ran out of juice and the fold out map got sucked out the window. It blows. Anyway the internet does not cause depression imo. If a depressed person is always on the net I think the real symptoms were there long before. This would just be an outward indication of something more. But don't get me wrong just cause someone plays a lot of games or is online a lot does not mean they are addicted or depressed they just might really like computers. I do.

So take these "studies" with a gain of salt.

People who are depressed will find something to "punish" themselves with... just like a person who is angry will pick on memories to fuel that anger.

I can attest that there is also a link between net addiction and porn addiction

Maybe, just maybe, everyone suffers from different levels of depression at different times (not major depression, but momentary bouts) and that just about everyone has different ways to deal with it.

Feeling unhappy? Surprise surprise, you'll find something to make you happy, like shopping, driving, sports, tv, internet, gaming, socializing, drinking etc... I think I've come to the realization that everybody will do what they want to do...

Yup, link found but cause-and-effect still fuzzy. Chicken or egg?
I like them both fried.

The fact that this is being looked into is interesting to me...after all, the internet is an expanding source of information, entertainment, and enough to allow a minimal amount of human interaction. Who knows, but in my opinion, I believe that if you are already on the verge of being depressed, the internet acts as an "escape" for a judge-free zone. A one-way communication path for all to enjoy.

I love you, back by demand

I have observed various degrees of depression in people for decades now and depression seems to have 2 things in common: 1)Idle hands...by using the hands whether in work or by constructing something the individual gets out of their head, and back into the "real" physical world. 2) Outdoors...I rarely see depressed people going out for long walks, sucking in fresh air and oxygen...instead they wallow in their pain from the confines of their stale air abode.

"Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person."

lol, if I had been drinking something it would be all over my monitor right now.

I am a bit depressed now Markus ... you might have to offer counselling to THG Vets / addicts etc ...

I'd better check on Wusy and Crashman ...

I liked the bread list better than the article.

There is a close link between Internet addiction and depression. Depression is first and one of the most common symptom of Internet Addiction. many people are addicted to Internet and they suffer from depression or mental health issues.