'Chronically online': Is it dangerous?
Key Takeaways
- The term "chronically online," previously used casually, is now being applied in serious contexts, such as describing a suspect in a killing.
- Experts state that "chronically online" is an unscientific term lacking a consensus on what constitutes excessive or problematic time spent online.
- The severity of online engagement depends on the activity, distinguishing between necessary work use and potentially isolating activities like heavy social media use or doomscrolling.
- Concerns exist that deep immersion in online spaces can lead to social isolation, rigid belief systems, and detachment from reality.
- There is a noted lack of clinical guidance or medical consensus on defining dangerous levels of internet behavior.
The term "chronically online," once a lighthearted descriptor for excessive social media use by celebrities or peers, is now being used by media outlets to characterize individuals involved in serious incidents, such as Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing activist Charlie Kirk. Investigators define this as spending an inordinate amount of time on messaging platforms, social media, and gaming, raising the question of whether this trait is merely a quirk or a precursor to loneliness, delusion, or violence. Experts emphasize that "chronically online" is an unscientific term, with definitions varying widely based on activity; for instance, extensive internet use for work is viewed differently than time spent doomscrolling or engaging in online disputes. The phrase gained ubiquity during the COVID-19 pandemic, often associated with Gen Z and Millennials pointing out peers' use of internet slang or intense involvement in online debates. However, the concern deepens when such immersion leads to prioritizing parasocial relationships over offline connections or escalating to radicalization, prompting comparisons to non-clinical concepts like "AI psychosis" linked to problematic AI chatbot use. Ultimately, experts suggest that the key factor may be the depth of immersion in online spaces rather than just the quantity of time spent, highlighting a lack of clinical guidance on when unhealthy online behavior becomes dangerous.
