Depressed Individuals Have Specific Online Profiles

A new study conducted by researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology has found that people who are suffering from depression may indulge in specific online activities.

The researchers checked online activities of 216 undergraduate students and broke down the traffic into eight categories.

Comparing the online activities of students with symptoms of depression with those who did not have the symptoms, the researchers found that depressed students were more likely to spend their time online on activities such as e-mails, peer-to-peer file-sharing software, chat, watch videos and play games.

"We believe that your pattern of Internet use says something about you. Specifically, our research suggests it can offer clues to your mental well-being. In the study we and our colleagues found that students who showed signs of depression tended to use the Internet differently from those who showed no symptoms of depression", the researchers wrote in the report.

Source: Medindia