Novel Research Indicates That Online Interactions Are Essential For the Health of Many Users
It is estimated that there are approximately two point one billion users of the web globally; try to consider what would happen if one were to suddenly 'turn off' the internet. Novel research found that of nearly a thousand individuals, more than half of them admitted that they were greatly distressed when they could not use the internet. Of the one thousand people surveyed, forty percent said they experienced loneliness when they had no net access. Those that partook in this research were required to go without internet access for one entire day, this meant that the individuals were unable to log on to popular networking sites such as facebook or twitter, and they could not send electronic mail.
Following the end of the one day period, some people taking part in the survey compared the experience to that of attempting to quit drinking alcoholic beverages or breaking out of a smoking habit. One study partaker went as far as to say they felt as if 'their head was being cut off'.
The chief executive of the company that led this research, intersperience, Paul Hudson, said that the internet and the technology found on it is becoming ever more pervasive. This is having a profound effect on our relationships with other people and the way in which we link with others.
Over the past decade or so, easy access to the internet has increased tenfold and this has provided many people with access not just to information, but to instant methods of communication as well. The internet is changing both society and the world as we know it; this has led to the evolution of online social venues and multiple online communities. Many enthusiastic individuals consider internet based communities as giving people a form of freedom from the limitations of real world interactions such as location and time.
The situation is not as dire as may be assumed at first glance; there are a number of ways in which people can reduce their dependence on the internet. People may find that it is helpful to compose emails that contain a limited number of sentences and use social networking sites only once in a day. If members of the general public apply these simple guidelines in their day to day use of the internet, this will help them reduce their dependency on the internet and the amount of time they spend on it.