A new study says Internet access is good our health. A report the Oxford Internet Institute in the UK suggested that being connected to the worldwide web has a positive effect our well-being. Researchers looked data on people's Internet use and mental health 168 countries. The data was gathered the years 2006 and 2021. It included information two million people aged 15 to 99. The research team looked eight factors that affect people's well-being. These included life satisfaction, positive experiences and happiness social life. The team found that people with Internet access were eight per cent happier than those web access.
The research included some surprising conclusions. One was the suggestion that Internet access had a similar, positive effect to walking nature. It helps people to learn new things, practice hobbies, watch movies, and make new friends. However, the research did not look how social media impacted people's lives. Many recent studies show that social media is having a negative effect people's mental health. Researcher Tobias Dienlin said: "The study cannot contribute to the recent debate whether or not social media use is harmful, or whether or not smartphones should be banned schools." He added that: "Different channels and uses the Internet have vastly different effects well-being."
