Whether on phones or computers, people access the Internet whenever they can and as often as they can.But recent research has shown a possible downside to “over-logging on.” Heavy Internet use is strongly linked to depression, according to a February article in the Psychopathology Journal.In the study, conducted at the University of Leeds, 1,319 people responded to an online questionnaire after being recruited through a link on different social networking Web sites.The survey asked the respondents ages 16 to 51  how often they use the Internet and for what purpose.The researchers found a small portion of the respondents exhibited a compulsive need for the Internet, often replacing normal social functions with online ones, such as games, pornography, social networking sites and chat rooms.This small segment, totaling 1.2 percent, was classified as “Internet addicts” and had a higher incidence of moderate to severe depression than normal users.Drew Gouvier, psychology professor, said substituting online interactions for face-to-face ones is potentially harmful.”A person can become more isolated and less connected to the realities of social give and take,” Gouvier said. “They spend all this time on the Internet when they might otherwise be forming real human relationships.”Gouvier said online relationships lack the same effort required of normal interactions.”It’s like you’re trying to get the milk without the cow,” Gouvier said. “It takes work to keep real relationships.”Katie Hingle, biology sophomore, said the Internet makes it easier to keep in touch with friends. “Sometimes school gets so hectic I don’t have time to pick up a phone and call someone,” Hingle said. “Posting on Facebook is less personal, but it’s easier.” Jennifer Curry, professor of counselor education, said younger people aren’t developing the types of people skills needed to be successful in life. “Things like eye contact and conversation skills are lost,” Curry said. “Eighty percent of communication is non-verbal. When you read e-mails, you aren’t reading expressions or body language, which are so important to success.”Curry researches the effects of Internet on development, along with problematic Internet use.  Younger people in the study were more likely to be addicted than middle-aged Internet users, and men showed more addictive tendencies than women. The average age of the addicted group was 21 years. “While many of us use the Internet to pay bills, shop and send e-mails, there is a small subset of the population who find it hard to control how much time they spend online, to the point where it interferes with their daily activities,” Catriona Morrison, the study’s lead author, said in the journal. People more dependent on the Internet spent proportionately more time on sex, gaming and community Web sites, the study showed.Alex Cohen, psychology professor, said too much Internet use carries some of the same addictive risks as gambling, but excessive involvement in any activity carries substantial risks, such as isolation, depression and occupational/social dysfunctions.”The key to Internet use, like gambling, is that it can be very reinforcing,” Cohen said. “Moreover, that reinforcement is often unpredictable, which makes it even more involving. You never know when someone is going to tweet, e-mail or post, and the anticipation of it happening can be enticing.”Gouvier said there is a problem when people’s priorities become askew and beating a video game becomes more important than doing well in school. “That’s when there’s a clinical significance — when compulsive behavior gets in the way of success in areas that are important,” Gouvier said. “The Internet makes it very easy to do.”Further research is needed to validate the relationship and determine causation, according to the study.”This study reinforces the public speculation that over-engaging in Web sites that serve to replace normal social function might be linked to psychological disorders like depression and addiction,” Morrison said.Cohen said there is nothing inherently pathological about Internet use, and in moderation it can serve as an important source of social support and networking tool. “It serves a critical function for society, and there is some evidence to suggest that relationships and social support, by and large, improve as a function of modest Internet use,” Cohen said. “Like anything, too much of a good thing can be bad.”