An Internet Addiction

Typical home scene:

Mom: Stop being on the computer all the time.

Me: Mom, I’m not on the computer, I’m sitting in front of it.

It’s the sensation sweeping the nation! No not just the nation, but the entire world. And no, not just the world but entire generations.

Growing up in the twenty-first century, we’ve always been surrounded by impressive technology. However, when something really innovative comes out we often just marvel at it for a little bit before getting bored and waiting til next year for 2.0. There is one invention though, that has become irreplaceable in our lives. It is– Can I get a drum roll? –

INTERNET!
It has snaked itself into our lives, become our platform for work, communication, and entertainment. (the sly fox) I will admit that the internet is a part of my daily schedule, I wake up to new email and I go to bed after reading tweets.

The internet has lots of good sides. I would compare it to telegraph, seeing how revolutionary it is. The internet has connected people from around the world, allowing them to share ideas, visions, allowing us all the gain a wider perspective of all different types of people. From the internet have come various jobs, from YouTube celebrities to corporations like Facebook. Those wanting to spread causes use the internet to let others know what they stand for. News is available to people at lightning speed. (Reuters is a great way to always be in on current events if you follow them on twitter to your cell phone)

However despite all this, I’ve begun to notice all of the bad effects of being too ADDICTED to being plugged in 24/7. Take research for example. Due to the internet, research has gotten easier, MUCH easier. Although it is good to have information at our fingertips, I feel that being able to always use search engines is making us lazy, not to mention makes it tempting for kids in school to use it to teach. Going to the library or talking to other people about questions is becoming outdated. What does ostentatious mean? Google it. When is the midsummer solstice? Google it. Why is my sister acting SO annoying?? Google it! It is ironic to think that the internet both helps yet undermines the pursuit of knowledge.

All of us are also aware of the dangers of cyber bullying, social networking sites, and scammers. ( I will include the danger of procrastination in parentheses because it doesn’t sound as ominous as the others in the list)

In addition, using the computer too much can cause sight problems, and because of the immobility of the activity it can also lead to weight problems. And has anybody else noticed that frequent computer users don’t need to blink as much?

I’m not condemning internet use. I’m just implying that perhaps our parents were right, and we have to take some time out from behind the screen. In addition to that, as part of the generation that has grown up with this technology we have the responsibility to make sure those younger than us are also informed about the dangers of the internet. I feel as if this blog is a bit incomplete, and i have more to say on this topic, but I will leave that till another post.

Thank you so much for reading! :)

Susan Lin is a Featured Blogger for Mobilize.org’s The Millennial Report. Although she was born in Brooklyn, New York, she’s an all California girl. Currently on her journey through high school, Susan wants to become more involved with the world and community around her while pursuing her dreams of journalism and design.