The new research comes from Swansea University in Wales. Here researchers have identified that those who use the Internet a lot can experience significant physiological changes. These changes are increased heart rate and blood pressure, with the symptoms appearing once those people affected finish using the Internet.
To assess this most modern of malaises the researchers looked at 144 participants who were aged between 18 to 33 years. each of the people was identified as a regular user of on-line activities. Each participant agreed to have their heart rate and blood pressure measured both before and after a brief Internet session. The participants were also asked about their feelings of anxiety and whether or not they considered themselves to be an Internet-addict.
What is Internet addiction?
According to Unity Point Health: “Internet addiction is described as an impulse control disorder, which does not involve use of an intoxicating drug and is very similar to pathological gambling.”
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The experimental results revealed increases in physiological arousal on terminating the Internet session for those who were considered to be ‘Internet addicts’ (that is having a problematically-high Internet usage – defined in the study as over 6 hours per day on-line). The rises in heart rate and blood pressure were matched by similar feelings of anxiety. With the physiological changes, heart rate and blood pressure rose by around 4 percent. The combination of factors were similar to measures of withdrawal seen with many ‘sedative’ drugs, such as alcohol, cannabis, and heroin.
For those surveyed who did not define themselves as having an Internet addiction, no physiological changes were recorded. Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Professor Phil Reed explains: “We have known for some time that people who are over-dependent 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.”
While the changes are not likely to be life-threatening the effect, in terms of addiction, could bring with it social problems if the addiction to the Internet is affecting a person’s ability to live a relatively normal life. Such was the level of addiction that many of those classed as ‘net addicts said they got little joy from the Internet, but felt a compulsion to be on-line.
The findings are published in the journal PLOS One, under the title “Differential physiological changes following Internet exposure in higher and lower problematic Internet users.”
