Internet use appears to cause a decline in psychological well-being¹, according to research at Carnegie Mellon University.

Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who logged on less frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasn't that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feelings.

Researchers are puzzling over the results, which were completely contrary to their expectations. They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to communicate with others.

The fact that Internet use reduces time available for family and friends may account for the drop in well-being, researchers hypothesized. Faceless, bodiless "virtual" communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationships formed through it may be shallower. Another possibility is that exposure to the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives.

"But it's important to remember this is not about the technology, per se; it's about how it is used," says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study's sponsors. "It really points to the need for considering social factors in terms of how you design applications and services for technology." 

根据卡内基·麦伦大学的研究，使用因特网可能会导致心理健康程度下降。

两年的研究表明，上网次数多的人与较少的人相比，即使是一周仅上网几小时也会经常地感觉到沮丧和孤独。这不是说已经有不良感觉的人在网上花费了更多的时间，而是说使用因特网似乎确实诱发了人们的不良感觉。

研究人员对这些结果困惑不解，因为这与他们的预料截然相反。他们预测，和看电视相比，从社交角度来说，上网可能更健康一些因为网络允许使用者选择自己需要的信息并且和别人进行交流。

研究者推测说，实际情况是上网使网民减少了和家人及朋友共度的时光，这也许可以解释他们心理健康状况下降的原因。和面对面的交谈相比，这种见不着面、看不见人的“虚”的交流可能会使人从心理上缺乏满足感。人们通过这种交流结下的友谊也不会太深。还有一种可能是，网民通过因特网所了解到的广阔世界使他们对自己的生活不那么满意了。

“然而，重要的是不要忘记这与技术本身是无关的，问题在于如何使用因特网。”这项研究的发起人之一、心理学家、英特尔公司的克里斯廷·赖利说，“这的确表明在考虑从技术上如何设计应用和服务时有必要把社会因素考虑进去。