“The ways in which people use the Internet to communicate predicts different changes in their psychological well-being, and that their social resources moderate these changes” Bessie` re, K., Kiesler, S., Kraut R. & Boneva, B. (2002).
Studies have been done to monitor the use of the Internet and how it affects us psychologically. According to research done by PEW Research Center,
55% of Americans use the Internet every day
45% send or read email
40% use search engines
15% use social networks
5% play online games.
Americans spends 60 hours a month online. It is quite evident of what the Internet offers for everyone. People use it to communicate with others locally and across the world; we use it for information and entertainment. Utilizing the Internet for communication was associated with changes in depression. Is there enough evidence to prove using the Internet can help depression? Think about it a minute, you lost your job, your kids are ready to start school, your stressed and can’t sleep. You get out of bed and go to the computer, send an email to that special person that you can always talk to you and wow you receive an immediate response. “What are you doing awake at this hour”? Than the phone rings and you talk for an hour, now you can sleep like a baby. You awake the next morning feeling everything is going to be just fine. Without the capability of the Internet you don’t rest, you feel terrible, and your feelings can escalate to further emotional problems. The ability to reach out to someone at any time of the day, anywhere in the world is such a feeling of comfort.
“People who communicate more have more social resources, and those with more social resources have better psychological functioning, lower levels of stress, and greater happiness (Baumeister & Leary 1995).”
How as the Internet helped people that have trouble-meeting new people. The Internet adds an avenue for people to add social resources, social interactions on a daily basis and enlarges their social network. This can result in improved social skills. Of course there is always argument that people that utilize the Internet for meeting people may become more introverted.
Bessie` re, K., Kiesler, S., Kraut R. & Boneva, B. (2002) Effects of internet use and
social resources on changes in depression.
Barnett, P. A. & Gotlib, I. H. (1988) ‘Psychosocial functioning and depression:
distinguishing among antecedents, concomitants, and consequences’,
Psychological Bulletin, vol. 104, no. 1, pp. 97–126.
3 comments:
Interesting articles, but I feel the information is a little dated. I think the internet has been a great way to help many people cope with depression, meet new people, and boost self confidence. However, I feel now social networking, gaming, and search engine use dominates internet, and much more than 55% of the population uses the internet on a daily basis. Lastly, communication on the internet does bring a new set of problems. Internet predators, people hiding behind computer screens, health risks of spending too much time in a chair at a computer, and people losing face to face communication skills.
I have to agree that people are turning to the internet more and more for all kinds of personel issues. I am afraid we are creating a society that can not comunicate face to face anymore. Maybe the person they are opening up to just really doesnot care about you and with out that face to face interaction you cannot read the facial expressions and could be obtaing an unreal situation.
I have to agree that people are turning to the internet more and more for all kinds of personel issues. I am afraid we are creating a society that can not comunicate face to face anymore. Maybe the person they are opening up to just really does not care about you and with out that face to face interaction you cannot read the facial expressions, therefore you could be obtaing an unreal situation.
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