Internet Overuse and EDS in Adolescents

Summary

For my third source, I chose this article for one of the many symptoms Internet Addiction can cause to teenagers and young adults in college. This article is mostly a study based in South Korea and focuses on college students who not only go out and party but use the Internet too much. More than half the amount of students in the study stayed on the Internet longer than they should and less than half partied too much. The study resulted in poor school performance and loss of sleep at night, causing excessive daytime sleepiness or EDS.

Reaction

When I read this article, I could not believe so many students using the Internet. South Korea does have a smaller population so in the United States, the amount would be much larger in the study. As Choi said, this social phenomenon needs to be analyzed in psychiatric or psychological terms. Not only poor school performance, but the feelings of loneliness just from using the Internet too long is outrageous. I wish that would never happen to me. My roommate seems to think that being on Facebook all night and sleeping all day is a good thing to do at college. While I am trying to sleep she's on the computer and when I am up all day she sleeps. I now know she has an addiction to the Internet and mostly Facebook. I have also noticed that her health is becoming more sickly as she has bottles and boxes of medicine and tissues all over her desk. It is a sin that she cannot stay off the Internet. I know understand since reading the articles what it means to be "Internet Dependent."

Tie-in with Carr/Pope

Choi makes the point of saying that this "phenomenon" should be analyzed by psychiatrists. I believe to an extent that one could be addicted. Carr believes that this is getting out of hand as well and will never stop. Pope believes that it can be moderated and I'm sure that with help by doctors it could be. Choi's article says that Internet overuse is strongly associated with sleep problems and probably concentration as well, as in Carr's article he says that he loses concentration very easily and needs to move on to something else. Pope says that technology is clearly affecting students' lives and according to Choi, that is a fact. Students' lives are changing dramatically from the addiction and their health is becoming the problem.

Signature Essay Third Source

Jeffrey McQuillen wrote “The Influence of Technology on the Initiation of Interpersonal Relationships” and discussed how technology is negatively affecting relationships today. He focused a lot on on-line relationships and how they allow people to present a false identity which misleads the person on the other side of the message. This is something that people are becoming much more comfortable doing and are relying on. One in three relationships is developed through the internet, and it seems that soon all relationships will be built this way. I agree with everything the McQuillen says in this article. I personally am very against online dating websites because I feel as if there are more cons than pros. The mere idea that someone can pretend to be someone they are not is scary in itself. In person someone may exaggerate about a job or income, but everything else is yours to see. You are not just taking someone’s word for it. Online they can be a 60 year old man and pretend to be a 23 year old woman. It may be that I watch too many crime shows to believe that people are who they are and trust to meet them alone. I know someone that started an account with one of these websites, found a match, went out to finally meet this person that the website said she was very compatible with, and came to find that her match was actually her brother. That is why they were compatible and had many of the same ideas and likings. This story, along with the many horror stories of meeting strangers alone, will forever keep me away from online databases. I believe that McQuillen does a good job of convincing his reader of the negative impacts of online dating. McQuillen and Carr have the same basis belief within their essays. Carr discusses how technology, specifically internet, has affected everyone’s brains. He says that whether it may be for the good or the bad, our brains are altered which therefor alters our actions as a whole. People are adapting to the overcoming of technology and becoming comfortable with the outcomes. This is seen in McQuillen’s essay because he thinks that people are becoming too comfortable finding a partner online. They are changing who they are to make themselves appear better then they truly are. People are than allowed to change their personalities to do this all of the time. This is how our brains are being biologically changed to adapt to the changes in society. Technology has made each generation change slightly, so the next generation is already adapted to this change and then adapts to a new change. All from technology. It is clear that although Carr and McQuillen spoke of different things in their essays, they have the same underlining concept that technology is in fact changing our world today.

My Kingdom for Contentment

Summary

This article describes the writer’s short stay in Bhutan, a hereditary monarchy that is slowly incorporating some democratic measures. The country is unique in that its policies are guided by attempting to maximize the Gross National Happiness (GNH). The GNH is basically the highest level of wellbeing for the greatest number of people and promotes equitable land distribution, free medical care, and maintaining extended families.


Reaction

I’ve been to places similar to Bhutan and found myself, as well as others to be quite happy in these places. This article definitely emphasizes how simplicity and lack of material goods can lead to just as satisfying a life as one full of the latest technologies. Conversely, I also know in places that lack resources there is a yearning for something more. They realize that new technologies and goods exist and that they don’t have them. Externally, they seem so jovial, but there may be an underlying dissatisfaction cloaked by cultural mores. This makes me think of the “grass is always greener” phenomenon because there are many caught up in fast-paced, cluttered lives who pine for greater freedom and tranquility.

One somewhat disturbing aspect of the story was only mentioned briefly. There is a mandatory dress in Bhutan in which all men were identical clothing as do the women and freedom of speech is restricted. While the lifestyle there seems idealic in so many ways, lack of freedom is a fairly heavy price.


Tie-in to Carr, Cascio

The tie-in to the other two articles is a bit loose. What I mostly saw was the juxtaposition of the serene climate of Bhutan with our hectic, technology-laiden lives and the toll it seems to be taking as described by Carr. Carr is arguing that our minds are being rewired and not in a good way.

In Cascio’s article, he agrees with Carr that our minds are changing, but he says the changes are only in their incipient stages and that it’s too quick to judge the changes as either good or bad. He writes that it’s just another step in human evolution and touts the quixotic possibilities that man and ever increasingly powerful machines can create. Cascio paints a Utopian future ushered in by technology, but as Trey Popp describes in My Kingdom for Contentment, such Utopia’s can exist in today’s world and in much simpler forms. Rather than always trying to faster and better via technology, perhaps Bhutan has the right idea in seeking the highest Gross National Happiness.

"Kids Really are Different These Days"

Summary:
Dianna Coyl discusses in "Kids Really are Different These days" how over time and especially recently that kids have changed. She goes on to talk about how kids have changed with physical development, media and technology, self understanding, and emotional competence. However, i mostly will speak about how media and technology has changed kids today by altering the way they may think and do things.

Reflection:
The meaning behind this article is that over time kids have changed. Specifically, media and technology have been a big part of this rapid change among kids because according to the article, with increased importance of technology in a kid's life impacts social and communicative development. Today, nearly 82 % of kids are online by the 7th grade. Also have approximately 6.5 hours of media exposure every day. To me that is remarkable how all these kids not only have access but are allowed to spend a ridiculous amount of time on the internet. This also has a direct impact on the physically development of kids in my opinion. I say this because the more time kids are inside on the internet, playing video games, watching TV, or just sitting there texting, is less time that they are outside doing something. Any type of physical activity whether its baseball, soccer, tag, etc. would be better. Also the article goes on to explain how the brain isn't capable of multitasking, like a lot of people thought. I agree with that because i find it very hard to focus one more than one thing. When you try to do more than one thing at time you actually aren't saving time you are losing time.

Tie In:
This article ties in with the other two in that they all speak to how media and technology are altering the way people think, act, and or develop. In this article it speaks to how technology affects social and communicative development. Moreover, how multitasking actually slows you down and increases you chance of errors. Like Kord Campbell in "Attached to Technology and Paying A Price," when he didn't even notice an email about an offer that eventually made him a millionaire for 12 days because he was so distracted with all of his technology. Due to his multitasking he nearly cost himself all that money. Then of course in "Is Google making us Stupid," Carr talks about how technology is changing the way people do things. More specifically how they read. In order to be able to process all of the information available to us now, our brains have been altered to only skim through articles instead of reading them thoroughly. Then in Coyl's article she talks about how media multitasking forces the brain to perform sequential processing. Rather it is like skim reading in order to get through all of the information. Through all of this, technology is changing the way people think and act.

"Internet Addiction"

Summary
My third source is “Internet Addiction,” which was published in CNS Drugs by Martha Shaw and Donald W. Black. This article establishes the classification, symptoms, and effects of an Internet addiction. This article defines Internet addiction as an uncontrollable urge in relation to computer use that can cause in problematic effects. There is no medicines or official cures, but like any addiction, self-help books and therapy are proven as effective, and rehabilitation centers for Internet addiction have been created.

Reaction
I found this article very helpful when it came to understanding the true classification of an Internet addiction. This article explains how an Internet addiction can develop, and now I understand how easily one can develop an addiction. One major symptom was staying online for longer than intended. I don’t think there is one person who hasn’t experienced that. Most students take a break from homework to go on Facebook, and only realize how much time they’ve wasted when they look at the clock an hour later. The Internet is addicting; there is so many different sites and so much to do. There are so many ways to get lost in the Internet and waste your entire day on the computer. This is a major problem for students, because they neglect their school work and friends to stay online. As easy as it is to develop an Internet addiction, I think it would be pretty hard to kick it the habit. Technology is almost like a basic need in the modern way; it’s an important way to communicate with others. So if you have a past with an Internet addiction and you need to check your e-mail for a message from your boss, you’re going to be very tempted to stay on for a while.

Relation to Carr
In relation to Carr, this article explains some of Carr’s symptoms. Carr discusses some of the problems people face from being dependent on the article, while this article elaborates on the effects. For example, Carr says that he can no longer focus on longer pieces of writing. If someone has an Internet addiction, they cannot focus on anything while off the Internet. Carr may not be addicted completely to the Internet, but he is experiencing lesser symptoms. Both articles are aimed toward the common theme that the Internet may do more harm than good. People don’t look at the consequences of spending hours online. People may not think that spending 4 hours online a few days a week is bad, but if they go away for a week and have no access, they almost go through withdrawal. Poor concentration is definitely an effect of excessive Internet usage. Who wants to sit down a read an entire book when you could go online and get a summary of the book, which is a lot shorter? Most people cannot even concentrate while reading because the Internet and technology is on their mind. I often take breaks from reading a book to check my Facebook or text. And some people only plan on taking a break for five minutes, until they get lost in Facebook. Most people cannot even go a class period without texting or going on Facebook. People in my classes post statuses on Facebook about the class before it is even over.

"The Brain, the Biology Classroom and Kids with Video Games"

Summary:
MacKenzie admits that our brains are changing. She discusses how our brains continuily evolve and has been doing so for centuries. She discusses the change our brain went through when music, art and tool making were first introduced. She admits that kids today have completely different brains than kids used to have. She discusses the positive impact that video games contribute to this change. She backs up her ideas with research that shows that students who play video games can problem solve, recognize patterns, and think more strategically than children who do not play video games. She then discusses how incorporating videogames in the classroom, specifically the Biology classroom, can help students learn easier.

Reaction:
I agree with MacKenzie because I see it first hand everyday. I grew up in the eighties when video games did not exist and technology over all was primitive, specially growing up in Panama. I have two sons, a four and a six year old. They have only known the world as it is right now, the internet, video games, and so on. I could not do a third of what my children do at their age. I can't even do some of it at my age. I try to sit down and play video games with them and get frustrated because they are too complicated for me. Not just the technology part of it (good luck turning it on!), but the problem solving, decision making and the memorization skills that they require are far more complex than my brain could have handled at age six. Kids brains now have to be more complex because everything around them is more extensive than it used to be.

Tie in:
MacKenzie like Cascio and Carr all discuss the brain changing. MacKenzie and Cascio discuss evolution and both agree that the brain has been changing for decades and it is something necessary and beneficial

Online Flow Experiences, Problematic Internet Use and Internet Procrastination

Summary

For my third source, I decided to research the overuse or addiction of the internet. Using academic search premier, I found this article for Science Direct. This talks about the distinction between online flow, problematic internet use, and internet procrastination. People get so addicted to the internet that it can result in withdrawal symptoms. Its a huge distraction in the workplace and companies have to monitor their employees to make sure they are doing work-related activities.

Related to Carr's

This article relates clearly to Nicholas Carr's "Is google making us stupid?"because it shares how all this technology that is supposed to be helpful and advancing society is actually slowing us down. We spend hours on the internet trying to do one task, then become distracted because something else come up and we multitask. In the workplace, this is extremely common to do because internet flow occurs and hours will go by without even realizing it. Also, instead of researching for a work presentation, the group could easily just look up something on Google and be done in minutes. We also have a tough time concentrating on long pieces of information. This is bad for reading long papers at work and then being easily distracted to result in the work not being done. The real issue is that no one can do anything about this addiction. People continue to use the internet and read small pieces of writing so they are not able to change back to old ways. The New York Times has shortened their articles so this can appeal to more readers due to that fact that people will not read multiple pages of an article. This is a popular epidemic.

Reaction

I agree with these articles and I have been affected by these new forms of reading. I cannot sit for long periods of time reading one article on the internet. I also am not a big reader of any books and cannot remember the last time that I have read a book. I hate that I cannot complete a simple task such as writing a paper for a class or writing an email without being somewhat tempted to go on facebook or some other distracting site. Years ago this was not the issue for me but no everything is a difficult task. I also cannot function without my phone for a day and hate when people have a tough time having face to face interaction without checking their phone. I think that all these social networks are a big issue and going to be worst in the future. I do not think I have an addiction but it is definitely a distraction issue. As a student, it only affects how fast I get my schoolwork done but when I go to get a job in the business world, it will be a challenge to stay focus on task. We need to stop this before it is too late.