European research has found that those who use the Internet a lot can experience withdrawal symptoms such as increased heart rate and blood pressure when they finish an internet session.
Carried out by a team of researchers from Swansea University, Wales, and Milan University, Italy, the study is the first to use a controlled experiment to show physiological changes as a result of Internet exposure. For the research the team recruited 144 participants aged 18 to 33 years, and measured their heart rate and blood pressure before and after a brief Internet session. Participants also reported on their addiction and feelings of anxiety.
The team found that participants spent an average of five hours a day on the Internet, with 20 per cent spending over six hours a day on the Internet. The researchers noted that the most commonly reported reasons by far for Internet use were for using social media and shopping. In addition, over 40 per cent of participants acknowledged that they spend too much time online and reported some level of Internet-related problem.
The measurements taken showed that those with a problematic level of internet use experienced an increase in physiological arousal — shown by increases in heart rate and blood pressure — as soon as they finished their internet session. These participants showed on average a three to four per cent increase in heart rate and blood pressure compared to before using the internet, although in some cases it was double that amount, and these physiological increases were accompanied by increased feelings of anxiety.