Study: Internet Addiction Can Harm
Our Brains
Too much time spent online can produce changes
in the brain similar to those seen in people
addicted to alcohol or illegal drugs.
Summary: Internet addiction has now been linked to changes in the
brain similar to those observed in people addicted to alcohol, cocaine
and cannabis. Researchers in England used MRI scans to reveal
abnormalities in brains of adolescents who spent so much time on the
Internet, their social and personal lives were affected. Some 5 to 10 per
cent of Internet users are thought to be addicted, meaning they can’t
control their use. The discovery could lead to new approaches in
treating behavioral problems resulting from this addiction.
Henrietta Bowden Jones, a psychiatrist at Imperial College, London, who
runs that country’s only clinic for Internet addicts and problem gamblers,
said, "The majority of people we see with serious Internet addiction are
gamers – people who spend long hours in roles in various games that
cause them to disregard their obligations. I have seen people who
stopped attending university lectures, failed their degrees or their
marriages broke down because they were unable to emotionally
connect with anything outside the game."
Case studies include a 20-year-old in England who died of a blood clot
when he developed deep vein thrombosis after spending up to 12 hours
at a time playing his Xbox; a mother in New Mexico who received a 25-
year jail sentence because her daughter died from neglect due to her
online game addiction; and an English woman who was jailed because
she stole £76,000 ($116,300) from her company to feed her Internet
gambling addiction. However, most people can spend long hours online
without evidence of addiction. They may go on the Internet because of
their jobs or for harmless social activities.
In China researchers scanned the brains of 17 adolescents who had
been diagnosed with “Internet addiction disorder” and compared the
scans to those of 16 of their peers. The results showed impairment of
white matter fibers in the brain which connect regions involved in
emotional processing, attention, decision making and cognitive control.
Similar changes in white matter have been seen in cases of alcohol and
cocaine addiction.
However, the study’s authors are not sure whether the brain changes
are the consequence or the cause of the Internet addiction. Because
the study was not controlled, it is also possible illicit drugs, alcohol, or
other stimulants might account for the changes.
To read the entire article, click on THE INDEPENDENT.
Comment: The Internet, like printed matter, television, automobiles, and
just about everything else in life including the human ability to speak,
an be used for either positive or negative purposes. Regarding the
usefulness of the Internet, compare having to trudge down to the local
library and perhaps spend hours in order to find the answer to a
question to the ability to almost instantly find your answer on the
Internet, using a search window like Google.
However, when it comes to realizing when we have a serious addiction,
we need to seek help if we can’t learn to control it ourselves. This story
paints a picture of Internet addiction as being about as serious as
addiction to alcohol or illegal drugs.
On the other hand, if meaningless activity such as playing games for
hours on the Internet can hurt us mentally, shouldn’t the opposite also
be true? If we submerse ourselves in wholesome activities such as
volunteering to help people in need, reading good literature, or
spending more time with family, shouldn’t we expect to benefit mentally
and socially from such activities?
As Christians, we know where we should be spending a significant
amount of our time. In doing good works: “If your enemy is hungry, feed
him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (Romans 12:20) In
worship and Bible study: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”
(Acts 2:42). And in spreading the good news of the Gospel: “Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19)
There will be no harmful addictions in heaven. If there is an addiction in
Paradise, it will be a healthy addiction to praising and serving the Lord.
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor
and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13). For those
people who have come to faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, such
positive thoughts will frequently travel the pathways in our brains.
Nothing could be healthier for us.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY
Do heavy smokers ever reach the point where quitting no longer has
a positive effect?
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2 Comments
Mark Bergemann wrote: To expand Warren's comments, here are
some words I recently wrote for a Bible study:
The purpose of our lives is to worship, praise, and honor God. Even
our everyday activities can please and honor God when done in faith
and in conformance with God’s will.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV 1984)
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory
of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV 1984)
Our Daily Life is Worship. God has placed us in various roles such as
parent, student, employee, friend, and many others. We glorify God by
fulfilling these roles with a loving Christian attitude.
When we live to the glory of God and place God first in our lives, we
are worshiping God with our lives. The apostle Paul puts it this way,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerhold L. Lemke wrote: Mark - Your words are truly "like apples of
gold in pictures of silver" (Proverbs 25:11, KJV). I always took this to
be a jeweler's term for very tiny spatter drops of gold. And now I see
where the NIV gives us "settings," matching v.12, "Like an earring of
gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening
ear." This also is a good work pleasing to God. GLL
NOTE ON VISITOR COMMENTS: Visitor comments are invited including
those containing alternate views. However, comments containing
profanity or advertisements will not be published. After posting a
comment, please allow several hours for it to appear on the blog.
Our Brains
Too much time spent online can produce changes
in the brain similar to those seen in people
addicted to alcohol or illegal drugs.
Summary: Internet addiction has now been linked to changes in the
brain similar to those observed in people addicted to alcohol, cocaine
and cannabis. Researchers in England used MRI scans to reveal
abnormalities in brains of adolescents who spent so much time on the
Internet, their social and personal lives were affected. Some 5 to 10 per
cent of Internet users are thought to be addicted, meaning they can’t
control their use. The discovery could lead to new approaches in
treating behavioral problems resulting from this addiction.
Henrietta Bowden Jones, a psychiatrist at Imperial College, London, who
runs that country’s only clinic for Internet addicts and problem gamblers,
said, "The majority of people we see with serious Internet addiction are
gamers – people who spend long hours in roles in various games that
cause them to disregard their obligations. I have seen people who
stopped attending university lectures, failed their degrees or their
marriages broke down because they were unable to emotionally
connect with anything outside the game."
Case studies include a 20-year-old in England who died of a blood clot
when he developed deep vein thrombosis after spending up to 12 hours
at a time playing his Xbox; a mother in New Mexico who received a 25-
year jail sentence because her daughter died from neglect due to her
online game addiction; and an English woman who was jailed because
she stole £76,000 ($116,300) from her company to feed her Internet
gambling addiction. However, most people can spend long hours online
without evidence of addiction. They may go on the Internet because of
their jobs or for harmless social activities.
In China researchers scanned the brains of 17 adolescents who had
been diagnosed with “Internet addiction disorder” and compared the
scans to those of 16 of their peers. The results showed impairment of
white matter fibers in the brain which connect regions involved in
emotional processing, attention, decision making and cognitive control.
Similar changes in white matter have been seen in cases of alcohol and
cocaine addiction.
However, the study’s authors are not sure whether the brain changes
are the consequence or the cause of the Internet addiction. Because
the study was not controlled, it is also possible illicit drugs, alcohol, or
other stimulants might account for the changes.
To read the entire article, click on THE INDEPENDENT.
Comment: The Internet, like printed matter, television, automobiles, and
just about everything else in life including the human ability to speak,
an be used for either positive or negative purposes. Regarding the
usefulness of the Internet, compare having to trudge down to the local
library and perhaps spend hours in order to find the answer to a
question to the ability to almost instantly find your answer on the
Internet, using a search window like Google.
However, when it comes to realizing when we have a serious addiction,
we need to seek help if we can’t learn to control it ourselves. This story
paints a picture of Internet addiction as being about as serious as
addiction to alcohol or illegal drugs.
On the other hand, if meaningless activity such as playing games for
hours on the Internet can hurt us mentally, shouldn’t the opposite also
be true? If we submerse ourselves in wholesome activities such as
volunteering to help people in need, reading good literature, or
spending more time with family, shouldn’t we expect to benefit mentally
and socially from such activities?
As Christians, we know where we should be spending a significant
amount of our time. In doing good works: “If your enemy is hungry, feed
him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (Romans 12:20) In
worship and Bible study: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”
(Acts 2:42). And in spreading the good news of the Gospel: “Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19)
There will be no harmful addictions in heaven. If there is an addiction in
Paradise, it will be a healthy addiction to praising and serving the Lord.
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor
and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13). For those
people who have come to faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, such
positive thoughts will frequently travel the pathways in our brains.
Nothing could be healthier for us.
PRINT (Black type on white background)
***************************************************************************
Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new
post? Just e-mail your request to [admin@lutheranscience.org].
***************************************************************************
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Do heavy smokers ever reach the point where quitting no longer has
a positive effect?
***************************************************************************
2 Comments
Mark Bergemann wrote: To expand Warren's comments, here are
some words I recently wrote for a Bible study:
The purpose of our lives is to worship, praise, and honor God. Even
our everyday activities can please and honor God when done in faith
and in conformance with God’s will.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV 1984)
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory
of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV 1984)
Our Daily Life is Worship. God has placed us in various roles such as
parent, student, employee, friend, and many others. We glorify God by
fulfilling these roles with a loving Christian attitude.
When we live to the glory of God and place God first in our lives, we
are worshiping God with our lives. The apostle Paul puts it this way,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerhold L. Lemke wrote: Mark - Your words are truly "like apples of
gold in pictures of silver" (Proverbs 25:11, KJV). I always took this to
be a jeweler's term for very tiny spatter drops of gold. And now I see
where the NIV gives us "settings," matching v.12, "Like an earring of
gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening
ear." This also is a good work pleasing to God. GLL
NOTE ON VISITOR COMMENTS: Visitor comments are invited including
those containing alternate views. However, comments containing
profanity or advertisements will not be published. After posting a
comment, please allow several hours for it to appear on the blog.
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 Prefer to read this post in Blogspot? Click Here. PRINT
No. According to Bill Blatt of the American Lung
Association, fifteen years after quitting, a
smoker’s lung cancer risk will be the same as
that of someone who has never smoked.
Source: Spry (January, 2012)
Association, fifteen years after quitting, a
smoker’s lung cancer risk will be the same as
that of someone who has never smoked.
Source: Spry (January, 2012)
The opinions expressed
here are those of The
Editor and do not
necessarily represent
the views of the Lutheran
Science Institute. Please
note that links in older
posts may be broken.
here are those of The
Editor and do not
necessarily represent
the views of the Lutheran
Science Institute. Please
note that links in older
posts may be broken.
About Me - Warren Krug
The Editor
Decades ago I attended a
so-called Lutheran
university where I could
have lost my faith. The
science professors promoted
the theory of evolution and
made fun of anybody who
believed in the account of
creation as presented in
the book of Genesis.
Thanks be to God, some
creationist literature and
the Bible soon helped get
me back on the right track.
Ever since then I have
taken an active interest in
the creation/evolution
controversy.
Background image from NASA
The Editor
Decades ago I attended a
so-called Lutheran
university where I could
have lost my faith. The
science professors promoted
the theory of evolution and
made fun of anybody who
believed in the account of
creation as presented in
the book of Genesis.
Thanks be to God, some
creationist literature and
the Bible soon helped get
me back on the right track.
Ever since then I have
taken an active interest in
the creation/evolution
controversy.
Background image from NASA
