re: sad and lonely

This study mentioned in the NY Times is stirring up some controversy. It's probably a good idea not to jump to any conclusions. Newspaper journalists are not scientists, and don't always accurately report research findings. I'd like to read the original article, which is coming out in the American Psychologist. AP is a top-notch journal, so the odds are that the research was pretty well done. Even so, I'm sure there are flaws in the study - as there are in ANY research. Quantitative research is a helpful thing, but there are important limitations. When it contradicts things that I KNOW to be true from my own experience, I take that research with a grain of salt.

Will just a few hours of online time per week make you feel depressed and lonely.... No, I find that very hard to believe.

Are all online relationships superficial? I'll ask the several people I know who married the person they met online.

For me, the bottom line is this: when a person isolates their online life from their in-person life, they are walking down a deadend that ultimately will be unfulfilling. But when they INTEGRATE their online life with their in-person life, both worlds are enriched.

Replies:

Setting a timer so as to avoid depression..., by Patti, 8/31/98 re: timer, by John Suler, 9/1/98 this newbie has indeed over-indulged, by L Strobel, 9/9/98 Just had to respond!, by L Strobel, 9/9/98 Your opinion..., by L Strobel, 9/5/98 analysis of the depression/loneliness study, by John Suler, 9/5/98 Gohol article, by scurryless, 9/13/98 critique and defense, by John Suler, 9/13/98 which came first?, by tama, 9/9/98 re: which came first (correlation), by John Suler, 9/9/98

| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |

Copyright ©1996-1999 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.