Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Physical reaction if we can’t get net fix
We’re a nation of addicts. Yes, we are. And our latest addiction is no respecter of persons. We’re all, it seems, victims of internet addiction – and withdrawal leads to symptoms of a quickened heart rate and raised blood pressure.
A new study from Swansea University is the first to show how the body changes when you go on to the internet.
Lead investigator Professor Phil Reed said: “We have known for some time that people who are overdependent on digital devices report feelings of anxiety when they are stopped from using them, but now we can see that these psychological effects are accompanied by actual physiological changes.”
Researchers found the participants spent an average of five hours a day on the internet, with 20% using the internet for over six hours a day.
It’s the same for both men and women, with over 40% of participants admitting they struggle to switch off from the internet, and say they spend too much time online, with social media and online shopping being the most-visited sites across the board.
Spending more than six hours a day online has a drastic effect on the body and the effects often appeared immediately.
“There is now a large amount of evidence documenting the negative effects of overuse [of the internet] on people’s psychology, neurology, and now, in this study, on their physiology.”
Scientists monitored 144 adults during and after a brief session online, checking their heart and anxiety levels.
Among those who admitted to using their phones and laptops a lot, there was a marked increase in anxiety and blood pressure after they ended their session. In fact, their bodily reactions were almost identical to those seen among addicts when they can’t get a fix of alcohol or heroin.
And the researchers, from Swansea and Milan, believe this reaction may be the reason we rush to check our phones, craving a fix.
The blood pressure of nearly everyone rises somewhat.
In others, however, the changes are severe, with their heart rate leaping by almost 10%.
Though not life-threatening, such an intense increase can hamper cardiac efficiency and affect your immune system – particularly if it’s happening on a regular basis.
The authors believe that internet use is driven by more than just the short-term excitement or joy of the technology.
Over-use, they say, can produce negative physiological and psychological changes that may drive people back on to the internet, even when they don’t want to.