Anxiety and Depression with Internet Use

 When Rebecca Silton, a neuroscientist at Loyola University Chicago, presented her study, “Depression and Anxious Apprehension Distinguish Frontocingulate Cortical

Activity During Top-Down Attentional Control,” in January 2015, she emphasized the importance of apprehending anxiety and depression. Her research focused on psychopathology surrounding patients experiencing anxiety and depression. While explaining her research, she discussed cell phone use and Internet use. She even mentioned a phone application called, “moment,” that monitors how often someone picks up their phone. Internet use is awfully prevalent in our society. Its effects on our lives are widespread. It’s important to understand Internet use’s effects on our brains. 

In an article titled, “Relationship of Internet Addiction Severity with Depression, Anxiety, and Alexithymia, Temperament and Character in University Students,” a study was conducted on college students that assessed the relationship between internet addiction and various potential aspects of personality and feelings such as alexithymia, and temperament while maintaing depression and anxiety constant. In order to conduct their research, they used the following tests: Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Internet Addiction Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Ultimately, the results they obtained were not clearly indicative of a direct relationship between extreme internet use and alexithymia, however, it did reveal which type of students would be more prone to internet addiction. Their studies showed that students that were recorded to have high alexithymia and novelty seeking scores coupled with low self-directness and cooperativeness were more likely to experience an immense addiction to internet use. The characteristics measured were characteristics associated with experiencing anxiety and depression. 

Although Silton’s research differs from the research described in the preceding paragraph, the two studies in a way compliment each other. “Depression and Anxious Apprehension Distinguish Frontocingulate Cortical Activity During Top-Down Attentional Control,” focused more on brain activity in relation to anxiety and depression, and then, “Relationship of Internet Addiction Severity with Depression, Anxiety, and Alexithymia, Temperament and Character in University Students,” looked at what could be related to individuals with anxiety and depression. Ultimately, both studies reached new conclusions to better understand anxiety and depression. 

References 

Silton, L. R., Heller, W., Engels, S. A., Towers, N. D., Spielberg, M. J., Edgar, C., Sass, M.S., Stewart, L. S., &  Sutton, P. B. (2011). Depression and Anxious Apprehension Distinguish Frontocingulate Cortical Activity During Top-Down Attentional Control, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120(2),272-285. https:// luc.app.box.com/s/4c031c26bsh2bj3619si/1/2914484651/24814624477/1

Dalbudak, E., Evren, C. Aldemir, S., Coskun, S. K., Ugurlu, H., & Yildirim, G. F. (2013). 

Relationship of Internet Addiction Severity with Depression, Anxiety, and Alexithymia, Temperament and Character in University Students, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(4), 272-279. http:// web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d3664c74-f568-4285- a355-8af2d09426bf%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4204