University of Leeds - Web of despair

People who spend a lot of time browsing the internet are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West. Psychologists at the University of Leeds found striking evidence that some users have developed a compulsive internet habit that has replaced real-life social interaction. This could have a serious impact on mental health, the study concludes. The researchers assessed about 1,300 people aged 16 to 51, and found that 1.2 per cent were "internet-addicted".