Internet use appears to cause a (36) in psychological well being, (37) to research at Carnegie Mellon University.
Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet (38) more depression and (39) than those who logged on less frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasn’t that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net (40) appeared to cause the bad feelings.
Researchers are (41) over the results, which were completely (42) to their expectations. They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to (43) with others.
(44) , researchers hypothesized. Faceless, bodiless "virtual" communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationships formed through it may be shallower. (45) .
"But it’s important to remember this is not about the technology; it’s about how it is used," says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study’s sponsors. " (46) ."