Internet addiction

Internet Addiction Linked to Depression in Teens

Excessive use of the Internet is unhealthy for adolescents, even if they have never experienced psychological problems. A new study has found that addictive Internet use by teenagers can lead to depression and other behavioral problems, or can exacerbate preexisting conditions.

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Social Networks Impact Sleep and Drug Use

While some may wonder where their bad habits – such as the use or abuse of illegal drugs – began, recent studies are pointing to adult social networks. According to a recent Science Daily piece, behaviors that can include happiness, smoking and even drug use are influenced by friends and the friends of friends.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Harvard University found that the behavior of adolescents is especially impacted by such social networks where drugs are concerned. This study was led by Sara C. Mednick, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

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Excessive Internet Use Linked to Depression

People who spend a great deal of time browsing the Internet are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West by University of Leeds psychologists. The researchers found striking evidence that some users have developed a compulsive Internet habit, whereby they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. The results suggest that this type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental health.

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Online Addictions Could Have Significant Impact on Health

Nearly every individual has the potential to develop an addiction to something. Whether it is a substance that is illegal or unhealthy, an online game, a particular type of food or even a specific activity, developing an addiction is not something saved only for those with a tendency to move towards drugs or alcohol.

Only certain addictions are identified as being a threat to an individual’s health, although recent research shows that obsessive addictions could lead to mental issues. A recent article out of Australia in the Sydney Morning Herald suggests that such use and addiction to the Internet could create a mental-health epidemic. In fact, one Sydney academic warns that such an epidemic would put 10 percent of adolescents at risk.

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ADHD and Depression May Predict Internet Addiction in Adolescents

Adolescents with psychiatric symptoms such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social phobia, hostility, and depression may be more likely to develop an Internet addiction, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Addiction to the Internet can negatively impact school performance, family relationships, and adolescents’ emotional states.

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