7 August, 2015 – The excessive use of the Internet can have a negative impact on our immune function: the people who have higher levels of internet addiction are more susceptible to colds and flu than those that are less dependent. This according to researchers from the Universities of Milan and Swansea, which had already investigated the ” abstinence crisis from the internet”. According to these scientists, in about 40% of the sample they found moderate or high levels of internet addiction – a figure that did not differ between males and females. People with higher levels of internet addiction had about 30% more symptoms of colds and flu than those who used the internet less. Previous research had also shown that people who spend more time on the Internet are more likely to suffer of sleep deprivation, have worse eating habits, engage in less physical exercise and tend to drink and smoke more. These behaviors, regardless of age, can damage the immune system and increase vulnerability to disease.
