According to Taiwanese researchers, teens with various mental disorders, such as depression and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), may be more at risk for becoming addicted to using the Internet.
The researchers asked 2,293 seventh graders to fill out questionnaires regarding whether they had ADHD, depression, social phobia or abnormal feelings of hostility. Six to 24 months later, they were asked about their Internet usage, such as how many hours they spent on the Internet and what types of sites they visited.
The researchers found that boys and girls with ADHD or hostility were more likely to be addicted to the Internet than those without those conditions. Social phobia and depression was associated with Internet addiction in girls, but not boys.
At this time, there is no universally agreed upon definition for Internet addiction, but it is generally considered to be excessive use which negatively impacts grades, relationships or the person's emotional state.
In the study, identified risk factors for Internet obsession were being male, spending more than 20 hours per week on the Internet and playing online games.
In an article for HealthDay, Michael Gilbert, a senior fellow at the Center for the Digital Future at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, cautioned parents that removing their teen's Internet access was probably not the answer to Internet addiction. According to Gilbert, because computer usage is so prevalent in our society, teens will have to face the Internet everywhere they go, whether it's at home, at school or elsewhere, so it is best to address the underlying disorder that is making them more prone to addiction.
The study appears in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
I never thought about it, but I leave so much undone and spend hours on the internet doing nothing. I am always disappointed when a day ends and I still have stuff to do and have spent hours on the internet. How does someone break the addiction? I have just recently realized that I have been depressed all my life and I refuse to take drugs for it, but I am using supplements, exercise and have completely changed my diet all to no avail. Any suggestions?
I am sure I am using the Internet to fill hours in my day when I could certainly be more productive. As to depression, vitamin B is destroyed by stress so add some B-complex vitamins, try Sam-E, take a stroll to a destination you enjoy (won’t seem like exercise per se that way), get some sunshine, turn on music………..and obviously if I were so successful, I wouldn’t be here talking to you at 3:05 a.m.
Oh dear….I am depressed and I am NOT a teen and I am terribly addicted to the Internet. I’m sure I spend no less than 6 hours on the net the days that I work (M-F). On the weekend…at least 12 (no joking…probably an underestimate). I am not getting things done, I don’t talk on the phone much any more (ruins my concentration on my games), and I don’t go any where. I get up at ungodly hours so I can be on the net in peace….like 2:00 am. I am usually working on the computer at work, so going “cold-turkey” is not an option. I am really irritated when I have to give the computer to the kids for homework. Isn’t that awful!! I’m not on meds (after many yrs of using) but I am in therapy. lately my life feels so out of control.
lately I been on-line 6 – 8 hrs a day. Most of that time has been researching my disease OI type 1, It’s a brittle bone disease. Also spend alot of time there fighting SSA. I’ve been in the process of getting on SSI Disability. So far I’m in the middle of my first appeal to their denying me. I’ve been at it since March. You wouldn’t believe all that goes into fighting the government. I have suffered from depression for years. Now due to the stresses I’m going thru I’ve developed General Anxiety and Panic Attacks to go along with the Major Depression.
I am depressed and use the internet to look for a job. I think it is better than watching TV or sleeping. I spend a lot of time on it because I am bored because I do not have a job. It is a vicious
cycle. I live alone and only have cats to take care of…
It is a problem when a person develops agoraphobia ( afraid to be outside ) . Unfortunately by that time it’s too late and it’s hard to get them to face it.
On the internet I can be anyone I want, I don’t need to impress any one, no hassles, no one talking about my weight or hair I am just me , I also have come to the point to realize that I do not like people, or maybe better yet I am not a people person, I love to read different forums and learn about other people and their lives, I spent about three hours a day on it and I get up clean up, read, and then get back on the internet, I feel that it is relaxing and it never expect anything back from you and it keeps all of my secrets!
its funny i ran into this article. The last 2 weeks i’ve been using the internet non-stop and i think its affected the way i do things. Like other people have commented i haven’t been getting things done lately because of time on the internet. I have been spending about 20 hours a week on the internet which is a bit too much. I may have to reduce my time on the internet because i think it is also making my depression worse.
I stopped going to a bipolar\depression chatroom left me alot of freetime and started dating a real person i had a psychotic relationship with person i met at same chatroom ended up in psych ward so better to meet real local ppl
I never thought about it either. I was agreeing with all of the stuff then, i thought i need to check bebo. it scared me. My sister is clinically depressed,and has cut her body since she was 13 now she is nearly 20 and has just started getting help. i’m scared i need help aswell.
I’ve been hearing a lot recently about internet addiction. There are even both in and outpatient programs (one inpatient one I know about that’s pretty small and costs more money than I could ever come up with and doesn’t take insurance) and a few day programs.
I have mixed feelings about it. A few years ago I was in serious emotional/mental trouble. I was depressed, isolating, eventually becoming suicidal and violently homicidal. I met someone online. Actually, a group of us who were local did eventually get together for social gatherings (not on the computer) but I trusted one person with my situation, that person helped me find a therapist, went with me as moral support for my first few sessions, then helped me and worked with my therapist during a subsequent psych hospitalization. I might have died had I not made that contact.
On the other hand, I was talking recently with someone who is deep into the social networking thing. We couldn’t even have an uninterrupted conversation because she kept checking her email or her tweets or doing text messaging while trying to talk to me. I think that’s extreme.
Another thing to consider though is what we actually do on the net. There are some pretty zany sites where you can kill time. On the other hand, if you’re doing a lot of research, transacting business through email and many other things, you might spend quite a few hours on the computer. If you were once a television addict and now exhibit the same behaviors only on the net rather than TV, you’ve just substituted one addiction for another. I’m wondering too if the person who posted that he was finally getting therapy is getting it in person, by phone or online. There is a growing trend toward online therapy and counseling as well as phone therapy.
I think the Internet can be very valuable but as with many things (like food or drugs) it can be misused and abused and can keep someone from confronting real life issues. Yeah, it’s kind of fun sometimes to live behind a fantasy persona sometimes. But you’d probably be surprised how much information can be learned about you by social networks, government agencies, spammers, scammers etc. even if you deliberately enter false information.
Sometimes, I’ll deliberately stay away from personal email for several days running, even several weeks. It gives me time to do more productive things. Doesn’t always work. If you’re a procrastinator like me things might get put off whether I was on or off the computer. But there is something to be said for moderation.