Why we can’t just log off
Are you feeling grumpy or stressed? Are you falling behind on your work, school or relationship duties? That might be because you’re spending too much time online, according to a research team from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.
Crabby and connected – which comes first?
But are people going online because they are crabbier, or are they crabbier because they are online more often? “It seems like we have a vicious circle,” co-author and PhD student Andreas Oelker told ‘The Washington Post’(opens in new window). “If you’re in a bad mood, you try to lift your mood by using the internet, but it doesn’t help very much. So you use it more and more and more.” The researchers tracked 900 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 for 14 consecutive days. Published in the journal ‘PLOS One’(opens in new window), the findings showed that daily temptation – rather than stress or mood – was the biggest factor driving people to social media, video games and online shopping. Temptation was the main reason people kept going back online, while feelings of pleasure and relief made them want to do it again. Temptation made people twice as likely to log on, and its relation to ignoring other responsibilities was strongest for those with the most severe habits. “More than actual stress or mood alone, it is the momentary urge to go online that determines whether people engage in online activities and experience both rewarding and harmful consequences,” explained Oelker in ‘The Guardian’(opens in new window). “Understanding why individuals at risk of problematic internet use go online at particular moments is essential for developing better prevention and treatment strategies. Our findings suggest that helping people recognise and manage moments of temptation may be more effective than focusing on stress or mood alone.”
Stress, screens and severe habits
Stress had little overall impact on screen time, but for people with severe habits, stressful days meant more temptation and neglect. The study points out that not all internet use is bad – only excessive or problematic use causes issues. “We’d like to note that only a small percentage of internet users develop pathological use patterns. Using the internet brings joy, fun, and/or relief from stress in an enriching way as long as other important areas of life are not systematically neglected,” elaborated co-author Silke M. Müller. “These areas include not only essential duties and responsibilities, but also other activities that have been proven to have a positive effect on our wellbeing and health, such as exercise, spending time outdoors, or doing things with friends.” The authors also suggest treatment should concentrate on controlling the desire to go online, rather than just fixing stress or mood. From social media networks to games, the truth is, we often turn to the internet to manage life’s daily challenges. Finding healthier ways to cope is a much better approach. Stepping away from screens can help us to reconnect with the things that bring true happiness.
