there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the internet can damage your health. Apparently, 1.2 per cent of web addicts are addicted and this manifests itself chiefly in depression. What's worse, internet addicts suffer much deeper depression than those of us who inhabit the real world. Five times deeper, I'm told, although I've no idea what the unit of depression depth is - surely not fathoms?

The question is, does the internet sap your spirits and make you feel gloomy or is it that when we're depressed we turn our backs on real life and try to lose ourselves in the virtual world and then feel even worse? We just don't know. Some experts go further and suggest that the internet is actually changing the human brain - that we are ceasing to be human in the traditional sense and are rapidly evolving into Homo Interneticus, a creature who is isolated, lonely, distracted and has an index finger that is permanently clicking invisible mice.