Janet CollinsAre Bloggers Depressive?
February 5th 2010 05:16
Some British scientists have come to the conclusion that internet surfers show more than the average signs of depression. They don’t know, however, whether this is because depressed people tend to go to the internet more than the average for comfort or that excessive internet surfing is actually the cause of the depresseion in the first place.
What they can commit to is that excessive internet use can lead to compulsive internet habits, replacing real-life social interaction with the interaction that can be sought through the internet.
To come to this conclusion, researchers in the UK surveyed 1,319 Britons aged between 16 and 51. The psychologists doing the survey were from Leeds University and came to the conclusion that 1.2 per cent of these were “addicted”.
Bloggers can rest assured however, that the “addicted ones” were often the ones who spent a lot of hours logging on to sexually gratifying websites and online gaming, although online chat sites and social networking did get a really strong mention.
There has been a lot of research done on the internet and mental illness. In December last year results of a survey done in China’s Guangdong Province that surveyed 1,618 adolescents came to the conclusion that ten per cent of students were moderately addicted to the internet and one percent were severely addicted.
This survey, however, focussed on teens on the internet and came to the conclusion that ones who were moderately addicted to the internet were 2.4 times more likely to be prone to self-injury.
None of these surveys is really very conclusive. Do we go to the internet for comfort or do we just happen to get comfort by surfing away on the internet and find this a bit of a time-filler?
Most bloggers, I think, really love writing about what they really love . They research anything that is written about the area they are most interested in. That is not necessarily a replacement for human contact. It is almost like a hobby – writing about something you are interested in. Is that something than can be put down to a mental illness?
I think not. While many people can get quite obsessive about their Facebook sites or other social networking sites they belong to, the internet is difficult to avoid and bloggers probably spend a lot more time on the internet than the average person.
Surfing the internet is done for a lot of reasons. To find good holiday packages or good deals in restaurants and probably just about everything. Researching the internet for information to compile our blogs is really no different. We are seeking out information too.
The strange twist in this is that if I hadn't surfed the net, I wouldn't have found these survey results. Does that mean that many of the people who have read these studies because they found them while surfing the net actually have a problem?
Psychologists, particularly ones who are constantly researching, would have no option other than to spend a lot of time on the internet. At what point for them does it become an obsession?
Sourced: www.reuters.com
Image credit: www.cbsnews.com
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Comment by Jason King
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I do not think bloggers are more or less depressed people than anyone else. I do think it would help lonely people connect. I just think the problem is when you let go of the real world to spend more time on the internet. I had my World of Warcraft addiction a few years back and I could sit at the computer for over 15hrs straight eating, drinking and only leaving for runs to the toilet.
This is how I ended up putting on weight and withdrawing from society etc. In that sense it could lead to depression - but like most things this is only due to abnormal amounts of time spent with things. At least it wasn't drugs or prostitutes
Comment by Morgan Bell
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but regular net users are only really ever going to be from the middle and upper class, you are not going to see homeless or poverty-stricken net junkies
you need a stable home, a computer, a phone line, an ISP contract, and the finances and good credit rating to acquire all these things, so the people with the most severe problems probably dont even mingle in the blogosphere
Comment by Journeywoman
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On the other hand, there are some bloggers who probably spend too much time on the computer, away from the real world, and these would be the ones prone to depression. But most of us keep it in moderation, making sure that our online lives never take over from our real ones. Taking a week off every now and then is a must!
Comment by sumaya rahman
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Comment by Janet Collins
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agree that games on the internet could be far more addictive and probably more likely to isolate people. There are times that I spend a little more time than I should on the internet but blogging is only part of the reason.
I have never been into games but I can imagine they could be all-consuming if we weren't all that disciplined about play them.
Thank you.
Comment by Janet Collins
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I must admit I spend a lot more time on the computer since I started blogging, even if blogging isn't the only reason I am on the computer.
Jason is right when he says that the same can happen with any hobby. The trouble is even without having a lot of commitments I find it hard to keep up with things on the computer.
How do people keep up with their Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Chatting and that is before any surfing and YouTube - all in their spare time?
Good point about the costs, etc.
Thank you for dropping in. Good to see you.
Comment by Janet Collins
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You make a valid point. Putting all our thoughts out there into the universe has to be a healthy thing to do but I sometimes have to recognise when I am spending a little too much time on the internet. I can easily get carried away researching for things to write.
I do think a lot of the other things can be far more addictive and prone to abuse as Jason mentioned - games and sometimes spending too much time on YouTube, etc.
Thanks for dropping in.
Comment by Janet Collins
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Maybe it is and we are all just making up excuses
Thanks for the visit.
Comment by Janet Collins
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Don't most bloggers spend a lot of time surfing the net? I sometimes wonder if I go a bit overboard
Thanks for dropping by.
Comment by James Rickard
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Check this out...
I always love irony! Something to ponder! *G*
Comment by Janet Collins
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Yes, it is pretty amusing that the people condemning the internet and surfing on it are using it for their own promotion. In fact they depend on people surfing the net to find them.
Thanks for the visit and your comment.
Take care.
Janet
Comment by Wilson Pon
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