Welcome!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2211710/Sign-times--Internet-addiction-added-list-mental-disorders-following-alarming-rise-children-log-off.html

Welcome! This blog is dedicated to parents and educators who would like to be more informed on the high instances of depression arising from increased internet use among youth. In an attempt to create future internet users who are responsible and who can maintain integrity in their digital actions, much current information will be presented in order to create safe and positive internet environments.

Introduction and Definitions

This blog will focus on depression caused by extreme and excessive internet use. Studies have a harder time showing singular causes of depression, therefor for the purpose of educating parents and teachers, it is important to be knowledgable about the other factors that lead to depression and internet use, such as internet addiction and high rates of cyberbullying. Addiction in general can lead to depression and/or depression can lead to addiction, so it is useful to discuss the two psychological phenomena together. Also, being bullied online is something that many teens are grappling with today and is a huge factor in depressive tendencies and anxiety in youth. Therefor it is important to define all three in order to gain a more well rounded image of the higher incidents of depression, anxiety, addiction and loneliness caused by the revolutionary use of the internet. 

The three definitions below was found in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

de·pres·sion: "a state of feeling sad, a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies". 

ad·dic·tion: "compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful".

cy·ber·bul·ly·ing: "the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person (as a student) often done anonymously".

There has been more diagnosis of addiction in relation to internet use and has been categorized as Internet Addiction Disorder. The following definition was found on The Free Online Medical Dictionary:

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD): "A maladaptive pattern of Internet use, characterised by psychological dependence, withdrawal symptoms when off-line for prolonged periods, loss of control, compulsive behaviour, and clinically significant impairment of normal social interactions or distress".

I would like to take into consideration the first definitions of depression and cyberbullying, but to update the first definition of addiction with the newer one of IAD. I feel that both definition of addiction are applicable, yet the former presents an image that seems to pertain only to drug use while the latter accounts for the specific nature of the addiction we are discussing. Giving the above definitions, one could see correlations between the three subjects, in that being bullied online can lead to "feelings of dejection and hopelessness" and that "loss of control" and "withdrawal symptoms" described in the definition of IAD could be seen within the framework of depression.

All three of these subjects need to be examined in order to fully understanding the impact that increasing internet use has on the well being of teen in modern society. While internet addiction may seem like a newer phenomenon, it is a serious problem facing our youth and something that needs to be examined in order to understand and aid those is need. Also, after reading further research presented in this blog, cyberbullying should be taken seriously, not just seen as harmless "childs-play", but as something that can cause further isolation and depression with extreme reactions compared to that of in person bullying. In order to cease epidemics of depressed teens taking their own lives or resorting to isolation and self-mutilation, these topics need to be analyzed and taken very seriously because they are seen more in today's society than those of the past without the internet.

http://www.merriam-webster.com
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com

Visual and Audio Education!

For those of you like me, who may learn better from videos than from just reading text, here are some videos which introduce us to the topics of depression and social isolation from increased internet use, addiction and cyberbullying. Please take the time to watch these videos to become more informed on the issues at hand!

No Time to Think Documentary Clip

http://www.netaddictionrecovery.com/our-mission/restart-tv-a-documentaries/409-documentary-no-time-to-think.html

(The above video could not be shown due to technical restrictions, but please follow the link in order to watch the video clip!)
This short video is an excerpt from the documentary "No Time to Think" being made my Brian Huston of Road Trip Productions, found on the website for the reSTART program. I like how the psychologists and professors detail how the brain develops from what is wired to do, therefor if you have more online interactions and online behaviors, then your brain is more able to deal with these online relationships rather than real life interactions. This can contribute to increased isolation, anxiety and depression in daily real life relationships and activities.

Austin News KXAN Segment on Depression with Increased Internet Use

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TL6A26gXv0

Here is a segment that was aired on Austin News KXAN which details how internet use can lead to depression. The scary fact was that those who were "normal" before the study but then addicted from using the internet were 2.5 times more likely to become depressed. Although researchers are unsure if these individuals were at high risk for depression before coming addicted or if is was a result internet use and consequent addiction.

CASE STUDY: AMANDA TODD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqXw7ybwqJs

We can use the example of the tragic tale of Amanda Todd as a Case Study of how Cyberbullying and online behavior can lead to depression and ultimately the loss of one's life from unbearable anxiety and sadness. A case study is defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as "an intensive analysis of an individual unit (as a person or community) stressing developmental factors in relation to environment," and is a method many times used in psychology or anthropology to bring specific examples of an individual or group to represent a larger issue or theme at hand.

This CBC News segment (above) covers the incident of cyberbullying that led to the suicide of the young teen Amanda Todd. This sad tale is telling of the sort of spiraling depression and anxiety that can result in bullying online. Amanda Todd was beautiful young girl in 10th grade when she took her own life by hanging herself after struggling with bullying from a stranger on the internet for years. Todd had gone onto chat rooms in 7th grade and was asked to flash her breast to a strange man. As a young girl, she made this mistake, and he continued to stalk her online, threatening to show all of her Facebook friends the image of her breasts if she did not perform a private show for him. When she refused, he succeeded in promoting the image to all of her peers, thoroughly embarrassing the young teen. She even moved and tried to start a new reputation at a new school, but the bully continued to haunt her, repeating the same act, once against ruining her reputation. Below is a chilling video made by Todd made on September 7, 2012 just a little over a month before her suicide on October 10, 2012. The video details how she was struggling with loneliness, depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, and eventually self mutilation and drug and alcohol use. It is heartbreaking to see such a beautiful young girl struggle at such a young age because of a simple mistake and constant bullying online and at school. Amanda Todd's story is a cautionary tale about how out of control depression can spiral from such extensive internet use and relations. This case is exemplary of the need for further education and legislative protection about online dangers of bullying and depression in order to prevent more cases like this. Hopefully my reading and hearing this story, parents and educators can be further encouraged to set up privacy settings on computers and to monitor not only their children's online activities but also by watching their behaviors and moods in relation to excessive internet use.

Video titled "My Story: Struggling, bullying, suicide and self harm" found on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOHXGNx-E7E

Statistics on Depression, Internet Addiction and Cyberbullying

Sometimes it just helps to see the numbers and figures of how many and who these issues are affecting.

This post provides useful and easy to read information detailing the occurrences of Depressive tendencies and internet addiction in populations of youth and adults today. The following statistics and information was gathered initially in respect to depression caused by internet use, but quickly I found that forms of internet addiction, cyberbullying and poor social reception in daily life were all factors to the onset of depression caused by or joined with excessive internet use. Many researchers are still in debate whether internet use causes depression or depression is preexisting and just heightened by extreme internet use. All agree that the two can be studied hand in hand in that they are closely related in our technological age and that there should be further research done in order to truly understand the phenomenon of depression and excessive internet use. Regardless, there are some obtainable facts about these subjects and the data can be quite alarming!

(1)

• In the first large scale Western Study conducted on the issue of internet use and depression, researches found after analyzing subjects for correlation of internet use and depression levels of 1,319 Britons between the ages of 16 and 51, that 1.2%were found to be "internet addicted". Although this may seem low, it is high in comparison to the mere 0.6% representing the incidents of gambling in Britain. Researchers conclude that "what is clear is that for a small subset of people, excessive use of the internet could be a warning signal for depressive tendencies."(2)
• Studies from the University of Hong Kong revealed that 1 in 15 of local teens displayed 5 or more symptoms of internet addiction.
• Surveys from the United States and Britain showed the prevalence rates of internet addiction between 1.5-8.2%.(3)
• This study showed that depression increased with increased amounts of web surfing, only for those adolescents who had a low perceived friendship quality to begin with, signaling that depression would only increased with internet use if the individual was already showing signs of reclusion and poor social life to begin with. (4)

• An infographic created by a blogger on statistic involving internet addiction:

(5)

• "20.8% of U.S. adolescents in school having been bullied physically at least once in the last two months,53.6% having been bullied verbally, and 51.4% bullied socially (excluded or ostracized) 13.6% having been bullied electronically", Although the numbers may seem smallest for the amount that have been bullied electronically, this study showed that those cyberbullied showed the highest rates of depression than those who were just bullied.(6)

Resources:

(1) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/opinion/sunday/how-depressed-people-use-the-internet.html

(2) http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/03/us-depression-internet-idUSTRE61200A20100203

(3) http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1096541/internet-addiction-can-cause-psychological-disturbances

(4)http://www.nutrociencia.com.br/upload_files/artigos_download/internet,%20depression.pdf

(5) http://social-brand-value.com/2010/06/03/and-some-more-stats-on-internet-addiction-infographic/

(6) http://www.nih.gov/news/health/sep2010/nichd-21.htm

All of the above resources provide links to academic or news articles that have interesting findings on rates of depression with internet use, internet addiction and cyberbullying. I encourage you to explore to learn more information!

What are the signs of these problems?

(Photo taken from: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/excessive-internet-usage-linked-teen-depression-study-article-1.200551)

Many times it is hard to answer what comes first, depression or addiction to internet use. Either way addictive behaviors exemplify similar symptoms of depression as well, and all can be monitored in order to know if one should seek out help.

Symptoms of Internet Addiction as well as Depression:

• withdrawn social behavior and interactions
• insomnia
• restlessness
• decreased appetite
• decrease satisfaction with life
• low self esteem

Internet Use Correlated with Depression:

• increased email usage
• increased amounts of downloading and file sharing
• frequent internet multitasking
• increased amounts of video watching, gaming and internet chatting

              *note: All of the above mentioned internet usages may not necessarily signal depression in the individual, but are things founds in studies of internet use and depressive behaviors. These usages should only be monitored if there are pre-existing concerns of internet behavior problems or depression. They should be used not verbatim but as precautionary signs.

This information was gathered from:

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1096541/internet-addiction-can-cause-psychological-disturbances

    An article from the South China Morning Post titled "Linking of Internet Addiction and Decreased Well Being", which details studies on youth in China and the United States which related states of well being with increased and addictive internet use.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/opinion/sunday/how-depressed-people-use-the-internet.html

    This is a NYTimes Opinion piece by Sriram Chellappan, an assistant professor of computer science at Missouri University of Science and Technology and by Raghavendra Kotikalapudi a software development engineer, which examines a study done in February 2012 at Missouri University of Science and Technology which analyzed the ways in which depressive people used the internet.

What Can We Do to Prevent This?

After reading and watching this sobering material on the high instances of cyberbullying, internet addiction and ultimately higher rates of depression correlated with increased internet use among teens, you may be left wondering...But what can we do to prevent this or to help those already suffering?

• One of the first things you, or your child or student, can do in seeking help for immediate treatment and counseling is to contact the reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program.

                                         http://www.netaddictionrecovery.com

           This is a retreat center program in which professional clinicians specialize in treating all sorts of problematic internet and technology use, whether it be depressive tendencies or internet and gaming addiction. These retreats encourage individuals to reconnect with the outdoors and to seek counseling, allowing them to be free of dependance of constant online interactions. If a child or a student you know is suffering from any of the mentioned issues related to depression and internet use, this would be a great professional resource to start. 

• If a student or child you know is dealing with depression, addiction and/or is a victim of online bullying, I would encourage you to seek out psychological treatment as soon as possible. Then the specific nature of the disorder or problem can be identified and properly treated. 
• Keep an open line of communication about the issues in face to face life. Many times victims of bullying, depression and addiction feel there is now where to turn and may be ashamed of what is happening to them. Allow them to feel comfortable in discussing their issues in order to fully monitor and understand what is going on.
• If cyberbullying is happening between students at a school, inform school authorities. They will help decide in how to talk with the students involved, and will aid you in contacting the parents or guardians of the kids as well. Make sure any cries for help are being closely followed up on and are not being ignored by school authorities.
• Keep computers and electronic devices in family or communal rooms where there can always be an adult present. This will ensure that time limits are being respected and you can potentially monitor any risky or addictive internet activity.
• New softwares are being developed that will signal when the internet usage patterns of individuals are signaling depressive tendencies. This programs can be installed at home or at schools and can help those in charge be more aware of the ways teens and youth are using the internet to ensure safety at all times. *
• Stay informed on the instances of depression, addiction and bullying associated with increased internet use. There are many programs and technologies being developed out of much research on the subject. The more you stay educated, the more you can help kids today!
• Simply- encourage your children or students to be active outside or indoors! Make certain times for proper internet and technology use, at most up to an hour a day. Allow children and teens to enjoy games and books which may be ignored by increased internet use.

Resources:

http://www.netaddictionrecovery.com

*http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/opinion/sunday/how-depressed-people-use-the-internet.html