New Findings About Internet Use and Depression

February 4, 2001

I call your attention to an important new article in our Journal, the Journal of Online Behavior.

In 1998 a group at Carnegie Mellon University reported research showing that Internet use causes depression. A new study, just published in the Journal of Online Behavior, finds that that effect is limited, and that ongoing Internet use actually tends to reverse depression.

"Reformulating the Internet Paradox: Social Cognitive Explanations of Internet Use and Depression" by Robert LaRose, Matthew Eastin, and Jennifer Gregg finds that previously-found relationships between online activity and depression appear to be limited to novice users. As users become more experienced with the Internet and their competence improves, the hassles that the Internet itself presents recede. Moreover, users become more skilled at getting social support from others online. These factors lead to improved, not reduced, mental health. The article appears in the Journal of Online Behavior.

The article by Robert LaRose and his colleagues is the second publication of the Journal of Online Behavior. The Journal publishes empirical studies of human behavior in the online environment, and the impact of evolving communication and information technology upon individuals, groups, organizations, and society. It is a peer-reviewed, journal, with editorial board members from several countries and disciplinary affiliations. The journal is published electronically on the World Wide Web and soon will appear in printed form as well.

Gilbert Levin
Editor and Publisher