Addiction to the internet is linked to depression

Published on Tuesday 2 February 2010 21:34

PSYCHOLOGISTS claim to have found a strong link between depression and the amount of time spent surfing the internet.

People found to be addicted to the internet had an average age of 21 and spent a disproportionate amount of time browsing porn and gaming sites and online communities.

British scientists discovered the longer spent online, the less likely people were to be happy.

But it was not clear whether internet use caused mental health problems, or whether people with mental health problems were drawn to the internet.

Dr Catriona Morrison, of the Institute of Psychological Sciences at Leeds University, said: "The internet now plays a huge part in modern life, but its benefits are accompanied by a darker side.

"There was a high correspondence between the amount of time spent on the net and levels of depression. If you look at how dependent people feel they are on the net that is likely to correspond with how happy or sad they feel."

Her team identified a group of 18 internet users who spent many hours online each day and were classed as "internet addicted".