Internet and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from the UK

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet has become a key player in the daily lives of most people. We investigate the relationship between mental health and internet use frequency and purpose, 6 months after the first lockdown in the UK, in September 2020. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study on the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and the internet use module, and controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and personality traits, we find that older individuals (aged 59 years or above) have a lower internet use frequency (twice a day or less). Younger women use the internet for social purposes more than men do, while younger men use the internet for leisure-and-learning purposes more than women and older men do. Interestingly, high internet use is a protective factor for social dysfunction among younger women, but a risk factor for psychological distress among younger men. While leisure-and-learning purpose is a protective factor for social dysfunction among younger women, it is a risk factor for social dysfunction among younger men. Finally, loneliness seems to play a role: higher internet frequency use is a stronger protective factor for social dysfunction among younger women who feel lonelier but a stronger risk factor for mental health among younger men who feel lonelier.