While spending time online may not seem like self-care to everyone, new research suggests that internet use and access may boost well-being.
A new study published in the journal Technology, Mind, Action,Researchers have looked at how the internet affects psychological well-being and found that people with internet access were 8% happier than those without, an effect similar to that seen from going for a walk in nature.
The study looked at eight well-being outcomes: life satisfaction, daily negative and positive experiences, two measures of social well-being, physical well-being, community well-being, and experiences of a sense of purpose.
The researchers then used a series of multiverse analyses to determine how these metrics differed between people who regularly access and use the internet and those who do not. The data spanned a 15-year period from 2006 to 2021 and covered more than 2.4 million people in 168 countries. The researchers purposefully sought a more global view of internet use than has been presented in previous studies.
“The internet is global, but its research is not,” said Andrew Przybylski, one of the study’s authors. At a press conference On May 9, he said, “More than 90% of the dataset comes from a small number of English-speaking countries, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere.”
How can the internet be good for us?
While this study doesn’t provide a specific answer as to why using the Internet makes people happier, other studies have shown that the Internet Social support and community sources For people with physical disabilities, Adolescents’ sense of belonging And inspire Reducing depression in older adults.
When it comes to treatment, the internet is increasingly being linked to health, especially when it comes to mental health. A study According to a survey published by the American Medical Association, 88% of mental health treatment facilities offered telehealth services in September 2022, compared to 39.4% of facilities in April 2019.
The Internet has impacted so many aspects of our lives. Federal Communications Commission and Samsa Broadband has even been called a “super determinant” of health because it impacts access to education, employment, and health care.
“Delivery of clinical services only contributes 20 percent to health outcomes. The other 40 percent is what we call socioeconomic status,” Carol Myers, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who studies health care access and disparities, told CNET. “It has to do with income level, education level, available resources in the community.”
“Broadband access is very important for telehealth,” Myers said, “but it’s important for economic development and business attraction, it’s important for education, and all of these things promote health.”
another Recent ResearchA study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that a 10% increase in the percentage of county residents with access to broadband internet was associated with a 1.01% decrease in the number of suicides in the county and was “also associated with improvements in self-reported mental and physical health.”
There are still reasons to be cautious about using the internet
The new study found that the internet makes most of us happier, with one notable exception: Among women ages 15 to 24, there was a negative correlation between internet use and reports of community happiness.
The authors noted that this is “consistent with previous reports of increased cyberbullying among young women and more negative associations between social media use and depressive symptoms.”
a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report It was found that in 2021, 57% of teenage girls experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Another study “Posting selfies on social media has a negative impact on young women’s mood and self-image,” the study found.
Tips for a healthier life online
There are several ways to minimize the harmful aspects of online life, including taking regular breaks from social media. Research suggests that digital detoxes are Improves symptoms of depressionas well as other mental health benefits. Another study A study conducted on college students who went on a one- to seven-day social media detox found that most students reported positive changes in mood, increased productivity, improved sleep, and reduced anxiety.
It doesn’t have to be as rigorous as a week-long detox, but simply stepping away from your phone regularly during the day can make a big difference, like improving the quality of your sleep. CNET writer Jessica Fierro writes: Focus Mode On your iPhone or Android phone.
The internet has become essential to our work, our health, our social lives, and surprisingly, it even makes us happier — but like most things in life, it’s best done in moderation.
