Internet as a depression risk?

Computers used to display a sad face when they crashed… but a new study suggests there may be more frowns lurking on the other side of the screen these days.

The study, published in Psychopathology, finds that 1.2 percent of Internet users are addicted to the Web, and that these people are more likely to suffer from moderate to severe depression.

I can see the warning labels now… “Excessive computer use will make you sad and lonely.” Maybe future machines will come prepared to display ads for antidepressants if you spend too much time online.

All kidding aside, you might think it would never come to that… but the researchers behind this study believe this shows a “darker side” to Internet use.

They believe some people have an uncontrollable urge to spend as much time as possible online… to the point where it interferes with their regular activities and keeps them from interacting with people in person.

But don’t disconnect the computer yet.

It’s the old chicken-or-the-egg argument. Is the Internet causing these people to become depressed and withdrawn… or are depressed and withdrawn people more likely to spend more time on the Internet? Even the study’s authors say they’re not sure.

Everything I’ve seen so far makes me think it’s the latter. And if that’s the case, we shouldn’t be warning people away from the Web… but using the Internet more constructively to reach out to these people and get them the help they need.

The real trick isn’t keeping those people off the Internet… it’s going to be finding them and helping them before Big Pharma intercepts them. Type “depression” into a search engine and the first choices that appear are usually sponsored links that redirect to drug ads.

Now that’s the REAL dark side to Internet use.