The European Union has launched the European Problematic Use of the Internet (EU-PUI) research network to address and reduce harmful internet behaviours.
Activities such as gambling, viewing pornography, and excessive social media use may seem harmless or enjoyable to some, but for others they can become serious problems that affect daily life.
Although support groups and clinical services exist, the broader public health impact of problematic internet use, particularly on mental health, remains under-researched. Preventing harm is preferable to treating it after it emerges, and better evidence is needed to guide prevention efforts.
Professor Naomi Fineberg, Consultant Psychiatrist at the University of Hertfordshire and chair of the new network, said:
“Problematic use of the internet is a serious issue. Although almost everyone uses the internet, we still lack comprehensive information about problem use.
Most research so far has been limited to individual countries or to specific behaviours such as gaming.
As a result, we do not yet know the true scale of the problem, the factors that cause it, or whether cultural differences affect vulnerability.”
Better understanding of how online behaviours influence health will support more effective prevention and policy-making. Some preventative measures may be controversial because they touch on personal freedom—for example, proposals that would limit how much time citizens can spend on platforms such as Facebook or Twitter.
Such direct limits are unlikely, largely because enforcing them would be technically difficult and politically sensitive. Restrictive measures can also trigger resistance, and in some cases the “forbidden fruit” effect may intensify use rather than reduce it.
National approaches such as heavy internet filtering, similar to the Great Firewall of China, are theoretically possible but can be difficult to implement fully and may be easy to circumvent with the right resources.
In 2015, the World Health Organization examined the public health effects of excessive internet and electronic device use. That work contributed to the classification of certain behavioural addictions and informed diagnostic guidelines.
Dr Sam Chamberlain, Consultant Psychiatrist at the University of Cambridge and lead on research priorities for the network, commented:
“Although focused research has produced important insights into the psychology and biology underlying these behaviours, we still do not have sufficient knowledge about the risk factors for problematic internet use.
We need stronger evidence to improve diagnosis, predict individual outcomes, and develop effective interventions for people who are affected and those at highest risk.”
The EU-PUI network builds on the WHO’s earlier work by providing a sustained, Europe-wide research effort. The network has been awarded €520,000 in EU funding, creating expectations for concrete findings and actionable recommendations.
Because many digital products, including video games and social networks, are designed to capture attention and encourage repeated engagement, policy that targets these specific mechanics—rather than the internet as a whole—may be a more effective way to protect mental wellbeing.
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