Internet addiction is real - as users suffer ‘withdrawal symptoms’ when they go offline

Around 11% of people in Western countries are thought to suffer from some form of technology addiction – and smartphones are making it worse.

But researchers have found that some of us actually experience real, physical withdrawal symptoms when we’re not using the internet.

Swansea University researchers measured the heart rate and blood pressure of 144 volunteers before and after using the internet.

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The participants spent an average of 5 hours a day on the internet, with 20% spending over 6 hours a day using the internet.

They found that heavy users had a spike in heart rate and blood pressure when they stopped – and feelings of anxiety.

Professor Phil Reed, of Swansea University, said: ‘We have known for some time that people who are over-dependent on digital devices report feelings of anxiety when they are stopped from using them, but now we can see that these psychological effects are accompanied by actual physiological changes.’

There was an average 3-4% increase in heart rate and blood pressure, and in some cases double that figure.