Obsessive use of internet by young people affects school
results and social lives. A new study has found a link between the internet and
depression. They surveyed 512 young people aged between 13 and 15 and found
that compulsive internet use increased feelings of depression and decline in
school results within six months.

Internet addicts spend an average of 26 hours a week in
front of the computer. But parents have the largest role in preventing internet
addiction. Parents should talk to their kids about it if they saw a problem
looming. This is an important role because it makes it clear to the young
people that their feelings are understood and they have support. Parents should
set clear but flexible rules regarding Internet use. If young people are
allowed very little computer time it becomes counterproductive, and can boost
compulsive internet behavior.

Where did you get this information? I would like to see this as I do not for one second believe that it would be caused by the internet. I think that it would be more chemical imbalance in the brain. But would like to read the information that you read to make your post, maybe I might see something that would convince me otherwise.

26 hours per week, that is a bit more than 3 hours a day, well, I can consider myself an addict than lol, but anyway, some people need the internet to work and all, I just think it is an addiction when it gets out of control

I consider the addiction when someone gets home from school, immediately does nothing else but goes online, or when they wake up on the weekend it is the first thing they do and so on.

lalajean wrote
I consider the addiction when someone gets home from school, immediately does nothing else but goes online, or when they wake up on the weekend it is the first thing they do and so on.

I agree on that too, when they have a need for internet, when they only think of it, when they get angry when there's no internet access around, things like that, it shouldn't be limited per a certain amount of hours

Its the first time that I have heard of this and its just now that I realized the truth in this study. I know of people who are addicted to online games, chatting, etc and they seem to be sensitive when it comes to emotions but they dont realize that this is the cause: the addiction to the internet. What they reason out is that they are socializing online not knowing that they're emotions are being affected.

I can understand how too much internet can make you depressed. I think the person would start focusing mostly on the internet and it deprives them of everything else in life, like going out seeing their friends having fun playing sports maybe all those. too much of one thing is never good.

lalajean wrote
I consider the addiction when someone gets home from school, immediately does nothing else but goes online, or when they wake up on the weekend it is the first thing they do and so on.

I have to admit that when I first signed up with Juno (my first ISP) back in 1999, I most certainly had Internet addiction. Back then we only had a dial-up connection, so I couldn't just log on at will when I woke up because I'd catch hell if I tied up the line before the agreed upon hour of 1 PM. At the time I wasn't aware of it, but I'd get all anxious and would watch the clock impatiently. If people weren't home at the time, I'd sneak on before 1 PM, just to check e-mails.

At night I'd stay on till almost dawn, and sometimes way into the morning hours. Needless to say, this messed up my sleep-cycles and made for a very bad situation with other family members.

Now that I have DSL, the problem is actually less acute; I think I'm online less, and I have friends who sort of feel I am neglecting them because I'm no longer online till 3 AM, but because I do work online (as a review-writer, mostly), I'm on more during the day. I no longer feel "online anxiety" or have to wait till a certain time to get on, so I think my addiction is dealt with. I do get upset when I can't log on because my PC breaks or the DSL network has issues, but not to the extremes of before.

bettyjones wrote

Obsessive use of internet by young people affects school
results and social lives. A new study has found a link between the internet and
depression. They surveyed 512 young people aged between 13 and 15 and found
that compulsive internet use increased feelings of depression and decline in
school results within six months.

Internet addicts spend an average of 26 hours a week in
front of the computer. But parents have the largest role in preventing internet
addiction. Parents should talk to their kids about it if they saw a problem
looming. This is an important role because it makes it clear to the young
people that their feelings are understood and they have support. Parents should
set clear but flexible rules regarding Internet use. If young people are
allowed very little computer time it becomes counterproductive, and can boost
compulsive internet behavior.

I do think thats quite a bit of time for kids that age to be online. I really can't see them using all that time to study either. For me, I pretty much have to be in front of the computer way more than 26 hours per week, but that is because my job requires it. As soon as I am done though, I can't get wait to get outside, work out, go shopping, go out to eat, etc...anything to get off the computer for a while. So yeah, I can see how it may lead to depression. However, I think stripping away computer ( as said), would be the wrong thing to do as well. Maybe finding a balance in between will help in the long run.

id they were to base it as 26 Hour a week? you would say that i am a junkie? i stay onlinje most of my time. I mean 10 to 12 hours. But that is for business. Anyway i never had known that online exposure causes a depresion? any data to that or article?

26 hours an week is addiction? I spend way more than that on the Internet. I'm not really addicted to Internet. I have to spend time on the net because I do business on the net. I don't think 26 hours a week can cause depression.