{"id":7665,"date":"2026-07-29T18:04:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T18:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=7665"},"modified":"2026-07-29T18:04:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T18:04:53","slug":"your-internet-use-may-be-making-you-crabby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=7665","title":{"rendered":"Your internet use may be making you crabby"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Are you feeling crabby or stressed? Or are you not keeping up with your responsibilities at work, school or in your relationships? The reason could be that you\u2019re spending too much time online, according to research published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.\n <\/p>

Read more New Secret Service emails reveal how case was built against James Comey<\/a><\/p>\n

\n People who use the internet problematically are more stressed, have worse moods and are more likely to neglect other parts of their lives, according to the study of 900 German adults. Problematic internet use is when people use apps excessively, causing distress or impairment.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cStress and a negative mood leads to a higher temptation\u201d to use the iInternet, said Andreas Oelker, a doctoral student at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen, Germany and lead author of the study. Using the internet problematically could then make things worse.\n <\/p>\n

\n The ongoing research sheds light on a problem that isn\u2019t classified as a disorder but possibly should be, said Silke M\u00fcller, a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen, Germany and co-author of the study. One limitation of the study is it only tracked adults, so we don\u2019t know if the same thing happens to kids, M\u00fcller said.\n <\/p>\n

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\nYou haven\u2019t been enforcing rules to manage your kid\u2019s screen time. How to change that now<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

5 min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

\nWe know what makes us happy<\/strong>\n<\/h2>\n

\n The findings make sense because we know spending too much time on screens makes people unhappy, for many reasons.\n <\/p>\n

\n When we\u2019re scrolling, we\u2019re often not moving our bodies, which is essential for our health and happiness. Looking at screens up close for long periods is also very stimulating, which may leave us exhausted. On screens, we often switch between many different tasks \u2014 such as responding to multiple text chains and emails while scrolling social media \u2014 and that is also exhausting.\n <\/p>\n

\n We also know people are less nice to one another online than they are face to face. People because they don\u2019t have to own up to their behavior, which can lead to online interactions that make us stressed. And people often feel less than after comparing their lives to the curated, filtered images other people post on social media.\n <\/p>\n

\n What\u2019s more, friendships are essential for our health and wellbeing, but they tend to be best cultivated in person, not online.\n <\/p>\n

\nWhat are your triggers?<\/strong>\n<\/h2>\n

\n The results suggest problematic iInternet use is similar to eating disorders, addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Parin Kamdar, a Princeton, New Jersey-based licensed clinical psychologist, said in an email.\n <\/p>\n

\n That makes the problem difficult to treat because \u201cthese urges often function at a subconscious, habitual level,\u201d so you may already be scrolling the iInternet before you\u2019re even aware of what\u2019s happening, Kamdar said.\n <\/p>

Read more Blanche nomination in peril as key GOP senator rails on DOJ over controversial fund<\/a><\/p>\n

\n It helps to try to recognize your triggers, she said. Do you turn to your screen after a stressful interaction with your boss or partner? When you\u2019re exhausted or overwhelmed?\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cOnce a person can reliably identify the presence of the urge, they are in a much stronger position to confront the temptation,\u201d Kamdar said.\n <\/p>\n

\nWhen you\u2019re tempted, try this instead<\/strong>\n<\/h2>\n

\n When you feel the temptation to go online to cope, try to wait 5 minutes before doing so, Kamdar said. During that time, try exercising, listening to music or relaxing. Then , add another 5 minutes to your waiting period each time you\u2019re tempted, she said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Another thing I\u2019ve found really helps is planning blocks of screen-free time. This summer, my husband and I are taking our kids to \u201cfamily summer camp,\u201d a week at a camp in rural Minnesota where we\u2019ll go out on a lake, ride horses and do other activities together that aren\u2019t conducive to simultaneously scrolling.\n <\/p>\n

\n You don\u2019t need a budget to do something like this in shorter stints. Try disconnecting your router on a weekend afternoon and play board games with your family.\n <\/p>\n

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\nSchool students in class working with tablets<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
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\nStudents learn less when they use tech. So why do schools keep giving kids devices?<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

5 min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

\n I always feel happier when I do these kinds of things. When I talk to parents, students and educators about how to manage their screen time, those who say they\u2019ve overcome the temptation to be on their screens incessantly also tell me they\u2019re happier. They\u2019re more present in their surroundings. And they have more time for the things that make people truly happy: getting outdoors, moving our bodies, connecting with family and friends face to face and helping other people.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cAlthough the urge may never disappear entirely, its intensity and influence diminish,\u201d Kamdar said. \u201cRather than dominating attention and dictating behavior, it becomes just another thought that can be acknowledged and allowed to pass.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Therapy can help with this process, Kamdar said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Some people turn to the iInternet to cope with stress and negative feelings, but that could only make things worse. It\u2019s better to find healthier ways to cope. Unplugging could allow you to plug in more to the things that make us truly happy.\n <\/p>\n

\nEditor\u2019s note:<\/em><\/strong>Kara Alaimo<\/em> is a professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University and advises parents, students and teachers on how to manage screen time. Her book \u201cOver the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls \u2014 And How We Can Take It Back\u201d was published in 2024.<\/em>\n<\/p>

Read more The Trump admin wants to test paint patches on an iconic DC building this week. Preservationists are trying to stop it.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re feeling grumpy or stressed at work, school or in your relationships, you may be spending too much time online. 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