Are you addicted to online games and apps?

I heard an interesting piece of research recently – apparently if your teenager spends a lot of time on social sites such as Facebook and they get stuck into playing all the little games and applications you can find on there, they are more likely to be depressed than someone who does not use Facebook. This is according to a report published in The Journal of Adolescence and the test subjects were 83 teenage girls.

Interestingly, many of my friends are addicted to Facebook and applications such as Mafia Wars, Pet Ville and Farmville. They also lead fulfilling and very busy lives. I wonder if this reasearch also applies to older and middle aged women? Are we going onto social sites as a hobby and to keep in touch with out friends? Or is the amount of time we spend on these sites indicative of our state of mind?

I know that I enjoy catching up with people I am never likely to phone in my busy life and I am linked to many old friends on Facebook whom I would never have got back in touch with if the site was not out there. And my son enjoys playing the games - so do I in a spare moment. I am not aware of any depressive feeelings as a result in either of us! Food for thought…

Tags: Entertainment & food