These days, it seems like we live our lives on the Internet, but can excessive Internet and social media use impact your mental health? While it’s a helpful tool for education, work, social interaction and entertainment, overuse can take a toll on your health, says Saju Mathew, M.D., a primary care physician at Piedmont.
Internet use and anxiety
Whether it’s from reading too much negative news or researching your symptoms online – something Dr. Mathew says he sees frequently among his patients – too much computer time can increase your anxiety.
“More times than not, it’s not a good idea to research your health symptoms online because the final outcome is a lot of unnecessary anxiety and worry. My overall advice is not to research your symptoms, but to see a doctor first [if you have a health concern].” more