Does Increasing Internet Usage Fosters Social Isolation - Essay Example

DOES INCREASING INTERNET USAGE FOSTERS SOCIAL ISOLATION? By: Noof Ahmed Reta Academic Methods Internet does not cause isolation because it is more helpful than harmful, it all depends on the persons behavior ,and limiting the amount of usage Internet is a global communication network that allows computers worldwide to connect and exchange information. Now days the importance of internet to people is like the importance of mobile phones and even more. People stopped meeting outside or even communicating by phone but instead they send emails, use msn messenger, voice over IP, facebook and other internet technology communicating devices. Some of the activities that are available online are information, entertainment, socialization, collaboration and many others. The internet has opened a new whole area of addiction. Internet addiction is when individuals spend big amount of time online without realizing its effect on the social life. There are many activities available online that make people want to use the internet 24/7. For Example, Some people use the internet to read the latest news and for being updated with the most recent news instead of buying newspapers. It is both easier and cheaper by using the internet instead of using the newpapers.  it is also easier to buy  tickets to travel or to reserve online than going to the place itself and buying them. Most people watch football matches on TV but when they miss any match, they can  check sport scores and information instantly online.  People download music files or listen to music while they are online, and also buy stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Ladies are more likely to search for health, medical, spiritual and religious information online. Instead of going to shopping centre, the individuals can shop online. individuals who seek for any work related information or data or for those who are looking for a job can find it all online. (FISCHER, 1982) However most people use the internet for communication. They use electronic mails to send data, information or anything they would like. Individuals can instant message by using the MSN messenger which allows you to chat with anyone you would like instantly. The best thing about these online features is that it is all free. People also use the internet for watching videos, playing games and posting pictures online.  For using the internet there are some advantages and some disadvantages. The advantages include the email  which is a system for sending and receiving electronic messages. They can access information they would like to find or research about online. Another advantage is that they can shop online. Individuals can also chat online in which they can keep in touch with people who are distant from them, and they can  meet new people, and make new friends. Another big advantage is that they can download music, games, movies, videos, and other entertainment softwares from the Internet. Internet banking is one of the most advanced ways to access individual and commercial accounts online, by doing this a person can check bank statements, transfer money, and use all banking facilities available. Trading stocks and all kind of securities is available online these days where a person doesnt need a broker to buy and sell securities because all those facilities are available online with companies like E-Trade.According to  reisinger, D. Study: Internet use wont cause social isolation. According to a Pew Internet Personal Networks and Community survey, which polled 2,512 adults, “the dawn of new technology and the Internet has not caused people to withdraw from society.” (SLEEK, 1991) In fact, the study found that “the extent of social isolation has hardly changed since 1985, contrary to concerns that the prevalence of severe isolation has tripled since then.” (SLEEK, 1991) Pew said that 6 percent of the entire U.S. adult population currently has “no one with whom they can discuss important matters or who they consider to be especially significant in their life.” (SLEEK, 1991) Internet addiction is where an individual needs to spend extensive  time online for any purpose and for them to feel satisfied. Millions of people surf the internet and that brings up a problem which is the issue of addiction for the internet. Individuals get harassed or teased by family and friends for being an internet addict. If someone spends their time online by doing research for school, university, or work, they should not be considered as addicts. However, when individuals are not able to limit their usage time online this means that they are definitely addicted to the internet. there are many causes that lead to internet addiction. For example, individuals sometimes use the internet as a drug to release the stress they have from work. Some other individuals use the internet to avoid family problems, marital problems, or any other daily stress. (BOULIANNE, 2009) These are some of the situations where a person might want to run away from his own life and ignore all what is around them and use the internet to comfort the stress they have and forget about everything.  that is  one of the ways that people deal with the problems they have . they isolate themselves from everything and everyone and live their own lives by using the internet . This is what most people do these days, they just sit and use the internet, as it is also bad for their health because they are also not getting any exercise.  A research that was done proves the point that using the internet for excessive amount of time carries the same risk as gambling and that can lead to failure in school, university or work, depression and social isolation. Big percentages of people use the internet for so long to the point that they are ruining their marriages and losing their careers. (BOULIANNE, 2009) Addicted people reach to a point where they should begin treatments with an internet addiction specialist. Another problem or disadvantage is that there some  personal information that can be accessed from others online. Another problem is that people who shop or buy anything online, their credit cards can be stolen. Pornography is one of the negative sides of the internet where kids can access adult websites that have images or videos that are not suitable for minors. Furthermore, spamming is another issue and it is when inappropriate messages are being popped up from the internet to people using the internet. "the more hours people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings," said Norman Nie, a political scientist at Stanford University who was the principal investigator for the study.” (NIELSEN, 2000) According to Schroeder, S. MYTH BUSTED:Internet Use Doesn’t Lead to Isolation ” For the most part, the study conducted on 2,512 adults simply confirms what most of us know already: people use all this new technology to get in touch with their family and friends; for example, people call each person in their circle of closes friends on 195 days in a year, but they also see each of them face to face 210 days in a year. Same goes for Facebook and MySpace, as 71% of users have listed at least one member of their core network of friends as a friend on one of these services.” (JAMISON, 2000) Internet has advantages and disadvantages. It is both helpful and harmful to use the internet.  It is helpful for research and for communicating with family and friends but it is bad when a person gets addicted to it to the point of addiction that will lead to isolation.. In the previous paragraphs I have been talking about the advantages and disadvantage of the internet, and how internet can cause isolation to individuals. at the end, the internet has both good and bad qualities to attain from. However, the increase of internet usage can cause a really big effect and isolate the individual from everything. Although the internet has many negative effects but like any other new technology it comes with the positive things that help the society and people can still use them to apply negative behaviors. The internet changed the world and made us live in a more efficient world. If not for the internet communication will be slower and more expensive between people. (RICE, 2009) The world depends on the internet to do man jobs today. I have spoken about the benefits of the internet and i will highlight some of the ones i was talking about in the first paragraph of the essay. Although there are hackers on the internet but shopping and banking online is essential to many individuals and banks. Software companies provided securer devices and programs to help individuals and organizations to protect their privacy and information.  In conclusion, As long as people use the internet for their own good and for positive things they will not have any problems or any addiction to the internet. However if people use it for the wrong reasons and for a very long period then there is a very big possibility that the internet will isolate them. However only a small percentage of people are isolated due to the internet so the isolation is not even a big problem currently this shows that the internet provided more good things than bad things. References: BOULIANNE, S. 2009 Does the Internet Use Affect Engagement? A Meta-Analysis of Research. Political Communication. FISCHER, C. 1982 To Internet Isolation. Berkeley: University of California Press Oxfordshire JAMISON, B. 2000 Obsessive Internet use Poses Risk of Isolation, Depression, Researchers Say. Accessed January 20, 2010 NIELSEN, J. 2000 Does the Internet Make us Lonely? Accessed January 20, 2010 RICE, RE. 2009. Social Interaction and the Internet: A comparative analysis of surveys in the US and Britain, in Oxford Handbook and of Internet Psychology, A. Joinson, et al., Editors. 2007. SLEEK, S. 1991 Isolation Increases with Internet Use accessed January 20, 2010 Read More