Sharp exit from the network can cause anxiety, increase heart rate and pressure. Italian and British researchers came to such conclusions.
According to scientists, these symptoms can be one of the reasons that cause people to spend more and more time in virtual reality.
A group of scientists from the UK and Italy found out how disabling the Internet affects human physiology. This is not about a sudden malfunctioning with the network, but about a very common situation, when for some reason users need to quickly tear themselves away from the computer. According to scientists, in this situation, people who are used to daily prolonged sitting on the Internet, the pressure rises and the heart rate increases.
Researchers from universities in Swansea and Milan invited 144 volunteers to participate in the experiment , who stated about the excessive habit of using the Internet. The age of the subjects was from 18 to 33 years , and in the network they spent from three to nine hours a day. Most of the time they spent in social networks and online stores. Also in the experiment participated a control group of people who use the Internet much less.
Before the beginning of the experiment, specialists measured the heart rate and pressure of the subjects, after which the volunteers took up the usual affairs on the Internet. After 15 minutes the participants of the experiment were asked to leave the network and within two minutes they again measured their blood pressure and heart rate. On average, the figures by 3-4% surpassed the results of measurements before the Internet session, in some cases the difference was 100%.
" It was already known: people who are dependent on digital devices admit that they experience anxiety by putting them aside. But for the first time we note that these emotional experiences are accompanied by physiological changes , " said Professor Phil Reed from the University of Swansea , who led the study.
Scientists compare these changes with the physiological and emotional responses of the human body to the refusal to use some addictive drugs and substances.
"Perhaps the Internet is used as a means to reduce stress or avoid it, as well as as a method of combating anxiety that arises from personal events, but can also be caused by the very fact of disconnection from the Internet," the researchers conclude. - In favor of this point of view, based on psychological data, evidence of a change in the physiological state after the interruption of the Internet session also speaks: those who have a stronger habit of using the network and noticeable changes in the physiological state after disconnection note increased anxiety and worsening of mood " .
Scientists believe that the emotional and physical changes established during the tests are one of the reasons that makes people spend more and more time on the Internet. At the same time, researchers note that the influence of the network on life is relevant only for developed countries.
In addition, the experiment conducted posed a new question for researchers: how in the long run does human health interrupt the interruption of the browsing session of Internet resources and the subsequent change in heart rate and pressure.
