Re: UKNM: 'higher levels of depression and loneliness'

[Ray Taylor]

This story has also been covered in the UK press with their usual "the

Internet is for sad bastards" approach. But what's the worry?


Spending too much time online at the expense of time spent getting fresh

air, exercise, and meeting friends is so obviously unhealthy it's a bit like

saying "cigarette smoking will destroy your lungs - official."


But then so is (was) watching too much TV, playing too many computer games,

reading too many books..


For those of us who are remote workers, the Internet brings many savings in

time, effort, travel and telecommunications costs. But it don't mean you

should dispense with the handshaking and coffee-bar meetings. Quite the

opposite. Doing more of your mundane work using the Internet affords the

opportunity for better use of the rest of your time.


Home Internet users likewise will only feel lonely and isolated if they try

to substitute an internet social life for a real one.


It's just another media scare story about the Internet.


If you are feeling a little worried about this, Steve, or sometimes perhaps

you get a little lonely and depressed, call Uncle Ray for sympathy and

understanding.



-----Original Message-----

From: Steve Bowbrick <

stevewebmedia [dot] com

>

To: UKNM <

uk-netmarketingchinwag [dot] com

>

Date: 04 September 1998 10:58

Subject: UKNM: 'higher levels of depression and loneliness'



>I found this article (snipped below) rather disquieting. Can't understand

>why it hasn't been picked up elsewhere. Researchers in the respected Human

>Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon have done some quite

>credible research with a group of Pittsburgh residents indicating that the

>relationships we form online may be qualitatively different from real world

>ones - more ephemeral, less supportive - leading to 'higher levels of

>depression and loneliness' and 'a decline in psychological well-being'.

>

>The sample was not random but large enough (169 individuals) to warrant

>attention. The researchers acknowledged the need for further research.

>Predictably, research sponsors like Intel are less than happy with the

>unexpectedly gloomy results.

>


>Full story in the NYT archive (and at Carnegie Mellon's site

>

>http://homenet.andrew.cmu.edu/Progress/index.html ).

>

>Steve

>

>---

>

>NY Times August 30, 1998, Sunday

>

>Sad, Lonely World Discovered in Cyberspace

>

>By AMY HARMON

>In the first concentrated study of the social and psychological effects of

>Internet use at home, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have found

>that people who spend even a few hours a week on line experience higher

>levels of depression and loneliness than if they used the computer network

>less frequently.

>

>Participants who were lonelier and more depressed, as determined by

>standard questionnaires at the start of the two-year study, were no more

>drawn to the Internet than those who were originally happier and more

>socially engaged. Instead, Internet use itself appeared to cause a decline

>in psychological well-being, the researchers said.

>

>--snip--

>--

>Steve Bowbrick                                      Webmedia Group

>0171 494 3177                                         0468 257 570

>

>

>

>

http://www.webmedia.com/steve stevewebmedia [dot] com (mailto:stevewebmedia [dot] com)

>

>

>

>http://www.bowbrick.com - he's very advanced for his age...