Amor Chavez Castillo

ENGL 1302 231

Dr. Nelson
12 April 2024
The Impact Internet Usage Has on Society
Despite the internet’s efficiency to facilitate people’s lives, it has caused users all around

the world to experience “PIU” problematic internet use. “PIU” consists of the constant use of the

internet to the extent of affecting a person’s mental, emotional, or physical day-to-day stability

(Gansner, et al., Hatcher et al., and Stevens, et al.). To many people, this term may seem

unfamiliar yet without knowing they may be suffering from it. To shine light on this subject, this

paper argues that the internet should not be perceived as a positive resource for young people

because its constant use is deteriorating their mental health and overall affects user’s lifestyle.

With the accessibility of the internet and the advances that have been made through it and

for it, it is easy to get carried away while browsing it. This may be problematic for anyone on the

web but users who are younger are more vulnerable to getting carried away because of the

amount of free time they possess. Through previous studies by Kim et al., Kaess et al., and Tam

et al. they have found that there is a link between constant internet use and depression (Gansner

et al., 1000). Following this observation, Gansner et al. hypothesized that “digital media use

would worsen depressive symptoms” yet through their study it was revealed that symptoms were

worse on the day with less smartphone usage (1000-1001). Through their results, it was proven

that people between 12 through 23 had difficulty getting through their day without social media.

Internet use has become so crucial in people's lives that they have developed an attachment to it

without even becoming aware of it. The participants experiencing negative emotions when not

having access to their smartphone show how people have become devoted to technology in
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comparison to studies from years prior. The reliance young people have on their electronic

devices just continues to reveal that they would rather stay connected with technology than enjoy

what the world has to offer or simply live in the moment. This could affect the person’s

perception between reality and the internet by causing them to compare what is occurring in their

life to what is portrayed on the internet. Another factor that can contribute to the idea that it

affects people’s mental stability can be shown through longitudinal studies. For instance, Mars,

et al.’s findings indicated that their “females who reported high levels of internet use were at

higher risk of future depression and males were at increased risk of self-harm” (11). These

feelings can arise from not meeting the certain stereotypical looks from people on the internet

which can push male and female users to feel these types of ways. Since the study recorded the

symptoms experienced by both male and female young adults, this information can be used as a

guide for what symptoms to look for depending under what category user’s fall into. Controlling

these emotions from becoming too overbearing for people can prevent many of them from

developing mental disorders or even death due to these stressors. By becoming knowledgeable of

the topic, people can bring awareness for themselves and the people around them in hopes of

preventing the development of these conditions.

Furthermore, internet use does not only psychologically affect users by worsening their

mental health but also set foot for the development of mental disorders. For instance, in

Kircaburn et al.’s mukbang research study, college students who viewed videos of people eating

excessive amounts of food online eventually struggled with their relationship with food and its

consumption (2163). They found a connection through their results of an “18 % variance in

disordered eating and 9% in internet addiction” (Kircaburn, et al. 2164). Because of this, many

participants could suffer from worse symptoms such as experiencing eating disorders like
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bulimia and anorexia. This would not only affect their mental health but their overall nutritional

health. The constant fear of gaining health could seriously lower their body fat and risk their

health to the extent of death. In addition, other studies have shown a relevance between

problematic internet use and self-harm and suicidal thoughts among college students (Stevens, et

al. and Gansner, et al.). These symptoms are experienced by many of them because of all the

cognitive and physical changes that occur during college such as moving away and dealing with

great amounts of stress. Because of these factors, younger adults are more exposed to feeling

these symptoms while using the internet because of all the changes occurring in their life.

Speaking of the troubling feelings many of these students face during their college years could

help universities seek alternative ways to help them become more comfortable with their new

reality.

Despite the outcomes problematic internet use has brought to young adults, others will

argue that it is part of a new reality, and it has made the lives of many people easier, yet its

negative effects outweigh its positive attributions. For example, Mars, et al. mentions how the

internet has provided chances for communication, education, and entertainment which has

impacted it to “grown exponentially...among younger age groups” (2). Due to the broadness of

the web, it allows users to do all these different actions from anywhere which helps users stay

hooked on the internet because of how easily accessible it is from any device. Since most of the

population carries at least one electronic device, staying on it for extensive periods is normal, but

the long-term impacts are worsening for their health. This causes young adults to become

distracted and stay on the internet for large amounts of time which will overall take a toll on their

everyday lifestyle. The satisfaction users receive while browsing the internet is only momentarily

yet the effects that it causes last for longer periods of time. For instance, communicating with
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friends until late at night or watching a whole series in one sitting will only grant satisfaction for

a short time. The effects a person’s body will take to recover will be longer than the time spent

doing such activities.

Problematic internet use does not only affect young adults' mental state, but also

intervenes with the kind of lifestyle they follow. The youth who experience a troubling

relationship with the internet for instance, in Stevens, et al. study has reported that over “10% of

their participants received lower grades on exams and important projects” due to internet and

computer use. Spending so much time on the internet shifts the priorities many of these

individuals have and instead of focusing on their academic performance, they are wasting their

energy on the internet. Another way the web has negatively impacted the wellbeing of its users

Mundy et al. stated is by “disruption of sleep, physical activity, and face-to-face peer interaction”

(O’Keeffe, et al. 546). Because life does not simply stop so one can do as they please, people

have gotten in the habit of staying up late at night to browse on the internet. This takes a toll on

their overall health since they are not getting the recommended hours of sleep needed to function

throughout the day. This affects how they interact with others, because they are running on low

levels of sleep, common things like talking or listening to others during a conversation may seem

irritable and cause them to lose concentration. To many of these young adults pursuing a degree

in college, these effects could cause them to become stressed out and negatively influence their

college experience academically and socially. Furthermore, an increase in internet use has caused

a decrease in physical activity among young adults. Rather than curing their boredom by

spending time outside or simply going on a walk, young adults seek a solution by browsing on

the internet because of how easy it is. Spending less time exercising or simply physically moving

can affect a person’s health. It increases their risk of developing illnesses or becoming obese.
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These altercations can not only affect their youth but eventually pass on through their adulthood

and only escalate from there.

As this paper has shown, cyberspace should not be perceived as a positive resource for

young adults although it facilitates people’s lifestyle because of the consequences its constant

users face from using the web. The internet will continue to grow especially with technological

advancements improving daily which puts more individuals at risk of experiencing these

circumstances. The only way to reduce these effects from continuing to occur is through

informing users of what is occurring to other people like them from around the world. Locating

the effects that problematic internet use brings to the youth could help them become aware of the

issues and put limits to the amount of time they spend on the internet, as well as talking to their

peers about the issue. Not only will this benefit their overall health, but it will also help prevent

future generations from being affected by these problems and stopping the development of more.

Improving the ways people use the internet will allow humans to grow and continue seeking

ways to help each other to become better versions of oneself.

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Works Cited

Gansner, Meredith et al. “Piloting Smartphone Digital Phenotyping to Understand Problematic

Internet Use in an Adolescent and Young Adult Sample.” Child Psychiatry & Human

Development. vol. 54, 2023, pp. 997-1004. Springer, https://doi.org/10.107/s10578-022-

01313-y.

Hatcher, William, et al. “Community-Level Internet Connectivity and Mental Health: An

Analysis of United States Counties.” Journal of Mental Health, vol. 28, no. 5, 2019, pp.

490-494. Taylor & Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2019.1581356.

Kircaburun, Kagan et al. “Problematic Mukbang Watching and Its Relationship to Disordered

Eating and Internet Addiction: A Pilot Study Among Emerging Adult Mukbang

Watchers.” International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. vol. 19, 2021, pp.

2160-2169. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00309-w.

Mars, Becky et al. “Prospective Associations Between Internet Use and Poor Mental Health:

Population-Based Study.” 2020, pp. 1-15. Plos One,

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235889.

Mundy, Lisa K., et al. “Social Networking and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Early

Adolescence.” Depression Anxiety. vol. 38, 2021, pp. 545-552. Wiley, DOI:

10.1002/da.23117/. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23117.

Stevens, Courtney, et al. “Problematic Internet Use/Computer Gaming Among U.S. College

Students: Prevalence and Correlates with Mental Health Symptoms.” Depress Anxiety, vol

37, 2020, pp. 1127-1136. Wiley, DOI:10.1002/da.23094/.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8635392/.