Internet Dependence Ups Risks Of Further Mental Health Conditions: Study

Teenagers spending substantial hours online have a tendency to have problems with mental health conditions like stress and anxiety, inattention, depressive disorders, executive functioning issues, impulsiveness and ADHD.

 

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada involved 254 college students for their own study on the issues of internet and social media utilization in university-age individuals. For the investigation, the researchers implemented the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) made and put to use since '98 and also a brand new testing scale they designed by themselves.

 

Out of 254 students, 33 were found to be affected by internet fixation according to the conditions set in place by the IAT. Roughly 55.8 percent of pupils thought it was hard to restrain their own practice of online video internet streaming, 47.9 % couldn't avoid utilising social websites and also 28.5 % ended up being captivated with instant messaging tools.

 

On the other hand, the brand new screening tool put together by the researchers demonstrated that 3 times the amount of young people met the requirements pertaining to internet reliance.

 

Van Ameringen stated that internet usage has evolved over the past Eighteen years considering the development of social networking, online jobs, video streaming and so on. The investigator observed that the IAT, which was developed just before smartphone use grew to become widespread, might not be reliable in today's state of affairs as it may produce incorrect positive results in different people merely using the internet from people addicted to it.

 

On the other hand, the newest tool was made to screen present-day internet usage. With it, the investigators found out that 42.1 percent of the surveyed college students had mental health concerns on account of increased attachment to the internet. Van Ameringen stated this results in questions about whether or not the prevalence of dependence on the internet is exceptionally taken too lightly and whether other mental health concerns are a trigger or effect of being too reliant on the technology.

 

With all of these concerns at heart, Van Ameringen observed that this study might have functional implications for how mental health care providers address problematic internet usage.

 

"If you are trying to take care of somebody for an addiction although in truth they are anxious or depressed, then you might be heading down the incorrect path," he informed. Van Ameringen added that to achieve a better comprehension of the issue and come up with a solution, large-scale research needs to be conducted among a bigger and much more diverse group.

 

The research is planned to be presented at the 29th annual European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress in Vienna, Austria.

In accordance with the Illinois Institute of Addiction Recovery, the symptoms of internet reliance include preoccupation with and extended use of the internet, unsuccessful efforts to cut down internet use and using the technology to escape real-life issues and feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, depression and guilt.