Excessive internet use and depressive disorders

Abstract

Recent studies of Internet influence on behavioural disorders of its users, have created quite a polarised ambience. On the one hand, there are those who believe that the Internet is a new better medium for enabling various patterns of communication and social relations. On the other hand, others maintain that Internet use can lead to social isolation and other forms of psychological disorders, for an example depression. The aim of this work is a review of research attempts to confirm a connection between increased Internet use and psychological disorders, in the first place, depression. The number of studies on this subject is not very great thus far. This is mainly because depression and similar disorders are serious distorsions in basic psychological processes; this suggests how difficult it may be to work with such examinees, and how complex it may appear to distinguish etiological factors. These facts do not lessen the importance of the aim itself, i.e. defining potential consequences of excessive Internet use when it comes to psychological wellbeing, since the Internet is expected to become a basic form of social interaction in the near future, and consequently one of the major factors of socialisation and constitution of one's psychological identity. Due to that fact, the aim of this work is to indicate methodological and conceptual flaws of the studies which have attempted to make a connection between mood disorders and the Internet, so as to establish the base for future studies of the psychological consequences of Internet development.