by Matt Bird

Created on: June 11, 2009

I think doing too much of ANYTHING can make a person depressed, almost regardless of what that thing is. The Internet is no big exception.

Think about it for a second, but substitute, say, reading. You're an avid reader. You consume entire books in a single day. You love it so much that your time is wholly consumed by it, and you neglect all other aspects of your life - it becomes less of a beloved hobby and more of a controlling obsession. If anything you're likely to become depressed just because you can't stop, can't bring yourself to stop and never seem to have time for anything else. Reading is your life.

The Internet is the same. It's a fantastic, diverse resource that you can easily lose days on. But at the same time you can lose touch reality if you spend too much time on it - and like anything else, that invariably brings a sense of depression, especially if you have to be removed from it for an extended period of time.

The Internet has its own special rules in regards to depression, as well. The whole massive network is constructed as a social tool that connects people across the world. At first you'll be amazed by the number of people you're talking to. At the same time, however, you'll slowly begin to realize that over-dependence on the Internet leads to isolation from the real, flesh-and-blood world. Every minute spent on the Internet is a moment away from everybody else, and no matter how many people are in your chat at the same time it's a depressing, lonely thought.

More, Internet chats take time. You aren't going to get the immediate response you want. I've seen people in chats become incredibly huffy because I stepped away from the computer to use the bathroom for a few minutes. These people come to rely on the Internet as a medium of instant gratification, and when you mix that with interactions that are normally conducted in mere seconds it can become an aggravating experience.

More, time spent online on a computer is time where your body isn't being improved. Typing may strengthe your wrists, but that's about it. People who live their lives online probably don't spend much time exercising, and I wouldn't imagine they go to great lengths to supply their bodies with nutritious food. An unhealthy body eventually leads to an unhealthy mind, and it's all the fault of ceaseless web browsing.

So, please, don't get addicted. Step off your machine every now and then. Your mind will thank you for it in the long run, even if it rebels at the thought of time offline at first.

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