Health In the News: Stress, Depression and Suicide

Internet addicts more likely to develop depression
By Tan Ee Lyn
Hong Kong/ Mon Aug 2, 2010 4:01 pm EDT


Summary
A recent study in China has found that teenagers who spend excessive amounts of time on the Internet are 1.5 times more likely to develop depression than moderate internet users. Researcher Lawrence Lam has described that the three main signs of exessive use of internet; spending at least 5-10 hours a day on the web, agitation when one is away from the computer, and loss of interest in social interaction leads to lack of sleep and stress from competitive online games, which are the causes of depression.

Big Meaning
Thanks to the advancement of technology, our communication with others has become faster and more international. However there are downsides to the impressive internet. Internet addicts. A recent study has shown that teenage internet addicts are more likely to develop depression, which affects them physically, socially and emotionally. Instead of going outside to play sports, or to hang out with friends or spending quality time with their family, internet addicts tends to spend long, long unhealthy hours of time alone, isolated from the rest of the world, which causes lack of sleep, and stress due to competitive online games which are the two main causes of depression. It is crucial for them to receive counseling and treatment as soon as possible.

Personal Meaning
It is important to me as internet addiction has become one of the major problems among teenagers. I see a lot of people around me who, although not an addict, spends an equal amount of time on the internet, leaving no time to spend with their friends or family. And the age group of internet addicts is getting more younger as time passes, which is a serious problem because for young teenagers, spending time outside exercising and hanging out with friends is important since it is that period of time they mature both physically and mentally into a young adult. It is that time when they figure out themselves and develop a sense of values of life. But if that time is spent on online games, chatting with strangers, downloading illegal music and movies, etc,. it is going to be hard for them to be realize their way back to reality.
My friend's brother has once caused a scene when I was back in Korea. Instead of going to school, he went to an online game room, where you pay money to play internet games for a certain amount of time. The teacher contacted his mom since he was absent, and his mom called the police because she thought he might have been kidnapped. It wasn't a very pleasant
What I learned from this article is that there are growing amount of teenagers who are internet addicts, and they are more likely to develop depression. I also realized that there are quite a lot of people around me who spends more than enough time on the internet. I should try to spend time with those people outside exercising or socializing with others before it's too late.

6 Stressful Things

• School Work
• Future Career
  
• Time Management
• Getting enough sleep
• Public Speaking
• Height

Wellness Plan

1. The area or I would like to change or improve is:
My physical fitness; especially my left leg which has become very unfit due to surgery.

2. Pick a primary goal in your lifestyle withing the above mentioned Wellness Wheel area that you want to work on achieving.
I want to work on my physical fitness, especially on regaining my left thigh muscle.

3. What health benefits would you receive if you made a change in this area?
If I made a change in this area, not only would I improve my fitness level, I would also gain confidence in sports areas, allowing myself to try out new sports at school or even outside of school.

4. What difficulties might make achieving this goal a challenge?
I am more of a get-done-all-at-once kind of person. I like to do things at once so that I can put all of my concentration and effort in at the same time. It is more effective for me that way. However for my wellness plan I will need to be persistant throughout the semester, which might be quite a challenge for me.

5. The people you will ask for support and assisance are:
My parents for encouragement and mental support
My brother for training and exercising techniques since he is into sports

6. Three specific steps involved in making this change/improvement are
a. At least 30 mins of exercising 3 times a week
b. Increasing the time and the difficulty of the exercise as time passes
c. Always keeping in mind my goal

7. How will you record of your progress?
I will make a record of the exercises I did, which will include the date, the amount of time I exercised, and the level of difficulty of the exercise.

8. Date you will start?
As soon as my doctor says I can practice exercises

9. Date you are going to complete?
Before the end of this semester

10. Reward for completion
Satisfaction that I have achieved my goal
New running shoes to motivate me continuously even after the wellness plan is complete

I am proud of ...

I am proud of myself,

For having a good inner compass in my mind

I try to make good decisions

For me, my family and my friends combined

I am proud of myself,

To know when to say no,

I've learned how to voice my thoughts

Without hurting people, you know?

I am proud of myself
for being strong

Although I may be short,

I have muscles, don't get me wrong

I am proud of myself,

For having such a great family

They give me warmth and strength

Every second, every hour, and daily

and lastly

I am proud of myself,

For being Che Rim Jeong,

It's going to be my name, my identity

For a lifelong