Are We Too Dependent on Computers - Article Example

Are We Too Dependent on Computers This article tends to explore the reasons that have attributed to the increase in dependence on computers. These reasons that have been beneficial to a general user have also created many problems. Computer addiction is a manifestation of computer dependency that too will be discussed in this article as both are unique but are interrelated and help us in understanding the extent of dependency on computers. Are We Too Dependent on Computers Almost everything that we deal with now in our daily lives has computers involved directly or indirectly. Rarely does one see a person using envelopes or trying to send a formal document by writing them in hand. Computers have now become an integral part of our lives. Tasks that once needed to be carried out by people are now being successfully completed by computers. Intricate calculations and complex algorithms that would take years to solve can now be processed by computers within seconds. This all seems perfectly in sync with our daily activities helping business enterprises and individuals save time and money. The dominance of computers in our lives is apparent with science fiction and Hollywood movies predicting computing devices taking over the world. Though this idea has been given its due share of thought and discussion, it is farfetched and absurd. What really is important is the increasing dependence on computers. Jobs such as a bank tellers and postman have now become nonexistent and replaced by computers, with such an effect that it is considered impossible that jobs like these can now be done without computers at all (Rochlin, 1997). Rochlin in his book states that computer’s over usage in society has resulted in making us forget simple things like using spell check by search engines and typing software’s rather than relying on dictionaries which completely reflects our dependency on computers. This can be further illustrated by the fact that modern day pilots are now being trained by meticulously designed flight simulators, commonly used nowadays, which will leave them useless in emergencies and limit their own thinking and creativity in tight corners. Computer dependency has become a major issue for the society and this paper will consider the reasons that have led to the over usage of computers and justify the notion that we are in fact too dependent on computers. Secondly, it will also discuss computer addiction in contrast to computer dependency and how it is too a condition that has manifested from computer dependency. One of the basic reasons why computers have become a dominant technology in today’s age is the advent of the internet. Millions of people each day use the internet in one way or another. From a simple task of sending an email to using it for transferring money instantly from one account to another, the internet has made computers a necessity of life. (Givens, 2008) Terms like e-retailers or in fact e- everything has ensured that people are able to get everything from the internet without leaving the comforts of their homes. This has an adverse impact on the social lives of many as the need to go out of the home apart from going to work is becoming less important. On the other hand, thousands of jobs may become extinct as the internet and computers are becoming accessible to everyone. Take the example of online retailers that allow you to purchase from their website making brick and mortar stores irrelevant. One of the most quoted examples is that of newspapers. The fact is that with internet many people can get all the news that they want without needing the print newspapers or magazines, meaning many journalists and other people associated with printing and newspapers are facing the risk of losing their livelihood (Cheng, 2010). Another reason why dependency on computers has increased is that they serve two basic functions .They have the potential to calculate and compute information at a far better capacity than humans and they can handle and decipher information and data quickly and efficiently (Causes of Dependence on Computers, 2011). This is one of the fundamental reasons that have resulted in the overuse of computers. We now see computers in banking, hospitals, traffic jams, and schools and even in a theatre of war where opposing forces try to hack into the systems of each other for supremacy and finding military secrets. This has to a great extent revolutionized the way we live our lives which can be apparent from the fact that the social, cultural and technological changes in the past decade have been the most instantaneous. Computers due to their superior analytic processing are now the crux of many important segments of life such as airlines and financial services. If for the sake of argument all the computers in the world are to vanish, the world will collapse on itself (Wulfe, 2009) Computer addiction and computer dependency are very much alike yet they both are unique. The reason is that computer dependency refers to the notion that people cannot survive without the presence of computers. On the other hand computer addiction is the term that is used to describe the behavior of hackers and persistent programmers by psychologists and the general populace (Reed, 2002). A research revealed that people who are computer dependent also have the tendency to become computer addicts. This was carried out on computer dependency and reinforced the concept of computer addiction. It stated that in interviews with people who were in the habit of using computers, there was this notion that overuse of the machines led to adverse affect on the person that were apparent in his/her academic and professional duties. (Shotton, 1989) There are fifteen indications that can help us know whether a person can be categorized as a computer addict or not. These were compiled by the Addiction services in Redmond Washington. One of the basic signs for addiction to computers is that the person will not be able to calculate the time they spend on their computers. Simultaneously they will show inability to control the urge to use the computers and once they start using a computer they will exhibit a sense of elevation or euphoria. Also when they are far from a computer they will show inability to control their urges to use a computer while they will also have a craving for spending more time on it. People who are addicted to the computers will also limit their socialization with other people and this will include their family members and also their friends. They will not hate or dislike them; they will just prioritize their time on their computers above their friends and family. Addicts will become aggressive and frustrated on the prospect of not using or being able to find a computer and will also make up false information while defending their use of computers. They will show low performance on their usual tasks like school work or on their jobs. Addicts will show remorse and guilt on the excess usage of the computers and will show difficulties in sleeping on normal times and have varying times to sleep. They will have developed health issues like eye strain, aches and sleep deprivations. When they are confronted they will try to discuss it otherwise and defend their actions. Eventually, computer addicts will cut themselves out of normal social events and hobbies. They will also start obsessing on sexual activity by the use of the internet and create pompous accounts and personas on the internet for cyber love and related activities (Young, 2000). With the help of these traits and signs you can easily find out whether a person is a computer addict or not. If your coworker, friend or family member does show these traits it is imperative that you confront them and make them realize that they do have a problem. (Griffiths, 1995) In summation, it can be said that the internet and the superior processing capacity of computers has resulted in the dominance of computers in almost every facet of life. But computer dependency has also manifested in the condition that is known as computer addiction which itself is a serious concern for those who are using computers. References Causes of Dependence on Computers. (2011, August 20). World Latest Technology News. Retrieved from: http://techzone24.blogspot.com/2011/08/present-society-is-heavily-dependent-on.html Cheng, J. (2010, March 1). Internet overtakes print in news consumption among Americans. Arstechnica. Retrieved from: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/02/internet-overtakes-print-in-news-consumption-among-americans/ Givens, J. (2008, April 7). The Increasing Human Dependence on Computers. Yahoo! Voices. Retrieved from: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-increasing-human-dependence-computers-1360477.html?cat=9 Griffiths, M. (January 01, 1995). Technological Addictions.Clinical Psychology Forum, 76, 14. Reed, L. (December 01, 2002). Governing (through) the Internet: the discourse on pathological computer use as mobilized knowledge. Communication Abstracts, 25, 6, 755-909. Rochlin, G. I. (1997). Trapped in the net: The unanticipated consequences of computerization. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addiction?: A study of computer dependency. London: Taylor & Francis. Wulfe, L. (2009, February 22). Imagining a world without computers. Helium. Retrieved from:: http://www.helium.com/knowledge/5224-imagining-a-world-without-computers Young, K. S, Cooper A. Griffiths- Shelley E., O’Mara J. & Buchanan J.(2000). Cybersex and Infidelity Online:Implications for Evaluation and Treatment. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 7,10, 59-7.4 Read More