While I was at campus today, thinking about a blog post that needed writing, I couldn't help but notice that at least one person was on a social networking site in every one of my classes. Whether it was checking friends' statuses on Facebook or tweeting what a great lecture was happening in Dr. Stylianou's class on Twitter, students were distracted. Maybe even feeding their addiction.
Social networking sites are convenient because they let you know what friends are doing and saying all on one website. But, going to these sites can easily become habit forming and before you know it you're visiting the site multiple times a day for hours on end. Wouldn't you like to actually hang out with these friends that you are talking to online?
In the previous post, we discussed what Internet addiction is and posted a few example questions to see if you overuse the Internet. If you had the time to take the test provided in the link, then you have a better idea of your personal Internet usage patterns. If you haven't taken it yet, I urge you to. It can really help you see how much time you are spending online and how being online is affecting your life.
I think that internet is a very serious condition that most people don't take serious enough. Most people will just joke around and say oh I'm not addicted, or won't realize it as a legit addiction. Children growing up don't play outside anymore and are losing socializing skills because all of their fun is done online. It makes you wonder how long it will take until kids don't even know how to function without the internet/technology, or has it happened already? Very sad thought.
ReplyDeleteI think that social networking serves a legitimate purpose. Facebook allows you to keep up with products you use and old friends. Sometimes, you even get discounts if you fan a company's Facebook page. You can use Twitter to keep up with news. Many sports writers will first tweet news before writing up an article. You can use LinkedIn to find information on companies you want to work for, network with people who work at companies you want to work for, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere is certainly a problem with addiction, but I think that social networking does serve a purpose when used correctly.