Anonymous asked: what has caused the increased use of digital technology
Hi, please see my post on ‘increased use of digital devices’ below. If that doesn’t answer your question please let me know what specifically you are interested in and I am happy to respond with more information.
warm regards,
Karyn
My Hypothesis: There is a fundamental problem with this documentary and an imbalance of perspective.
The fundamental issue is the documentary highlights problems with the damage caused by bullying in cyberspace, links it to suicide but does not give any regard to the cause of the problems as I observe here;
1. It takes perspective from a Psychologist who looks at harm and takes direction from Positive Psychology. This field of study always looks at symptoms and will not provide the viewer with a clear picture.
2. The documentary features a “Cyber Advisor” who is an ex policewoman and works in with the Australian governments and police to highlight problems, not only that but dramatise the problem way out of proportion by emotionally engaging presentations. While the issues regarding harm to some children exist to some degree, the aim of the governments and Susan cyber advisor is to appeal to the Parent (the authority and moral values) of the individual. This is a problem from my perspective when her advice is for parents to get heavily involved in what their children do on computers. Children like and need privacy, in fact it is a basic human entitlement to confidentiality that a person of any age can write and communicate without interference and ‘micro management’. These forms of ‘control’ do not work and much evidence is available on this subject.
3. Fauziah from Al Jezeera takes (unknowingly or not) a political position against the free open Internet and advocates regulation of the Internet. This is not good for society. Ultimately it is not good for children either as we need the transperency of above that cyberspace increasingly provides and they need the education, open information and unregulated connections to diverse others.
There are many ways to deal with issues of bullying. I was interviewed by Fauziah before the filming began for this documentary and I made clear that most cyber bullies bully offline as well which makes this a Psychological problem with the individual person. Similary most people who use the Internet in destructive ways, are like this offline so the Internet highlights their same problems.
Furthermore, dozens of large corporations such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook are addressing the issues of bullying online by developing tools that will help with the problem.
If we are going to address bullying we need to look at the reason the person behaves this way, their upbringing (how do their parents communicate and behave) and their environment such as schools and media they absorb. From this perspective not only the Internet but also TV, movies and video games plays a big part in the type of content available to children.
In conclusion, it is important to address the cause of the issues, not look for something to blame and then sanction it. We need to recognise that governments are wanting regulation of the Internet to protect their own interests and this poses a much higher risk to society than bullies who act out online.
Interviewed about the effects of cyberspace on mental health and the problem with annonymity of which the majority of cyber bullies and trolling behaviours rely on. But do we need our privacy online?
There is a connection to people who intentionally try to harm individuals or groups online and their psychological wellness. The lowered inhibitions the Internet allows and less self regulation of anger together makes for some aggressive online behaviour.
Most of us however, use the Internet to our advantage and gain much from it :-)
Internet addiction
A meta-analysis research report published by a periodical journal called Cyber Psychology & Behaviour (2008) explored what empirical research was available on internet addiction over ten years and estimates approximately nine million Americans could be labelled as addicted to the internet to the detriment of their jobs, social and academic lives. They found that primary reasons for excessive use is socialisation using email, discussion forums, chat rooms and online games (Cyber Psychology & Behaviour, 2008). Classification would be a compulsive-impulsive disorder however there is a lack of evidence for both treatment and diagnosis as symptoms are thought to possibly be caused by another underlying factor such as ADHD causing Internet addiction rather than the other way around (Weinstein, 2010). Even though a number of definitions exist such as Internet dependency, online addiction and several others, nothing has been finalised (Cyber Psychology & Behaviour, 2008).
In the meantime, lobbying groups of psychologists and psychiatrists request Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) to be included in the next Diagnostic & Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-V) of which specifies criteria outlining certain behaviours in order for a practitioner to diagnose and treat as a dependency for a client (Rosen, 2007) & (Weinstein, 2010), and is clearly widespread (Rosen, 2007) of which a medical centre has been established in America called The Internet Addiction Centre (2011).
Five different Internet addiction tests are already being utilised by numerous countries including the most commonly used diagnosis protocol called Young’s Internet Addiction Scale (IAT), good for those who are unsure if they are addicted (Weinstein, 2010).
What causes this addiction is the holding power the computer has over people as it positively reinforces the behaviour of commanding it what to do and allows the person to be in control that causes addiction according to Sherry Tuckle, a Harvard Sociology professor and expert on human and computer interaction for fifteen years (Turkle, 2012). Other factors considered a cause for how people become addicted are;
I. The convenience and ease of using them
II. Anonymity and disinhibition with little consequences
III. Increase of intimacy online, being the short period of getting to know others and make new friends (Turkle, 2012).
IV. Time distortion. Dr Kimberly Young correlates the state an addicted computer user is in, to being hypnotised (Young, 2011), along with a neglect of basic drives (Weinstein, 2010).
V. Psychological absorption. Research shows disruption of time, perception and psychological absorption happens when all perceptual systems including sight, sound, motor response and brain power are applied to a single task. An explanation of this was developed by Dr Mihaly Crikszentmihalyi to describe how being fully engaged in an activity where thoughts and actions flow inevitably.
VI. Sense of escape. Whatever you don’t have you can have online which is an easy way to feel good, a form of dysfunctional coping strategy, a way of escaping from oneself and isolation of broader areas of life (Weinstein, 2010).
VII. Control of who you want to be online.
VIII. Withdrawal when computers are unavailable including a range of negative or painful feelings (Turkle, 2012).
A further list of consequences listed for checking IAD is provided by Rosen (2007).
A number of psychologists show strong correlations between ADHD & IAD (Rosen, 2007, (Weinstein, 2010). In fact (Weinstein, 2010) found Internet addiction correlated strongly to higher ADHD symptoms, depression social phobia and hostility in a study of Taiwanese college student. There were small differences in females than males, who showed higher depression and ADHD symptoms, while males showed higher hostility in addition to the other symptoms.
In fact, Lam & Peng (2010) provide results on their research of Pathological Internet use and found healthy teenagers with no existing mental health problems were 2.5 times more likely to develop depression as a result of this use.
Furthermore, Han, Hwang & Renshaw (2011) provide evidence through their research on IAD that it is similar to substance addiction which affects the parts of the brain required for learning and memory.
Han et al (2009) reported on development of treatment of IAD after scientific experiments showed that a substance dependant psychiatric drug reduced cravings for video and Internet game addicts by decreasing areas of the brain activated when cravings and game stimulation came up. This chemical reaction is the same with those treated for other addictive disorders.
Three psychological theories that provide explanations for addiction to digital technologies include;
1. Psychological gratification - gratification of virtual community, relationship maintenance, aesthetic experience and diversion (Han et al, 2009).
2. Positive Reinforcement of being online by gaining friends, fun, games and interesting websites. Increases desire to be online - developed by Professor B F Skinner. Positive reinforcements with repetitive actions causing new information, pictures, new friends, new messages, and feedback in minutes, followers, constantly pressing things for rewards (Carr, 2010).
3. Psychological state of mind and self-efficacy affect self-regulation and self-reactive outcome expectations which leads to Internet use and sometimes a further strengthening of the habit (Han, et al, 2009).
Various studies show 10-20% of teenagers are highly addicted to the internet and 30-40% are moderately addicted according to Rosen (2007). His hypothesis is based according to his grading system with an average of over 15 hours plus on the internet per week online. These addicted teenagers had more friends, higher depression, lower self-esteem and had parents who used less rules and boundaries in their parental style.
Strong correlations exist to support empirical claims about IAD from various authors including Brand, Laier, Pawlikowski, Schachtle, Scholer & Gleich (2011) who report this in their experimental research using Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and their variation (IATsex), that a person needs an emotional arousal and psychological symptoms for the maintenance and progression to excessive online sexual activity. Additionally, cybersex has the highest potential for developing Internet addiction.
They found that some people cannot control their Internet usage leading to everyday life problems which for cybersex addicts it includes pornography abuse in the workplace, sexually transmitted diseases and pornography consumption inspired aggression, however findings in one study showed the Internet addicts were more likely to have aggressive behaviours which were stronger in younger adolescents than senior school adolescents (Weinstein, 2010).
In order for this to happen people need to have cravings for the addiction, well known for behavioural addictions in general, and activated parts of the brain involved in processing sexual stimuli and craving reactions. This is seen occuring recently in those playing excessive World of Warcraft computer games, one of the most common used video game while studying participants were undergoing brain imaging studies (MRI scans).
“You know what’s really exciting about video games is you don’t just interact with the game physically—you’re not just moving your hand on a joystick, but you’re asked to interact with the game psychologically and emotionally as well. You’re not just watching the characters on screen; you’re becoming those characters” —Nina Huntemann, Game Over (2010 American Psychological Association, 2010).
Computer Scientists Create Algorithm That Measures Human Pecking Order
The way people copy each other’s linguistic style reveals their pecking order and so could help rank the power of individuals in online discussions
Paul Higgins: One wonders where the flamers and the haters would sit. I am pretty sure that where they think they sit and where others think they sit are totally different.
Full Story: Technology Review
Keep talking
The use of digital devices such as computers, TV, mobile phones and video game has increased substantially over the past few years globally with every corner of the globe having some form of internet available
Technology has helped humanity get things done faster and there is no doubt or shortage of recognition of these increased benefits to humanity.
As we have progressed so have our technologies. When thinking of all the technologies surrounding us, it can be quite overwhelming in what we live with each day and how much they have progressed - from transportation machines, watches, stoves, fridges, cameras to printing, phones, TV and now the internet.
The most visable effect of globalisation is the reach of media of all types. A number of labels have been given to describe this impact which include ‘media society and the information society’. Arguably information and communication mediated by network and broadcast systems of all types have become more important than the workplace that defined the Industrial Age (Holmes, 2007)
How far both Digital media and social media have become integrated in the lives of most of the global population is shown here as at 31st March 2011, with the exception of some third world countries such as Liberia and Ethiopia with only a .5% Internet penetration rate and St Helena with only 900 users up from zero in 2000. Africa has the lowest percentage of Internet users globally with 11.5% penetration and makes up 5.7% of internet users globally. With a population of 1.03 billion, the total Internet users are 118.8 million including 30.6 million Facebook users.
At the other end of the scale Asia has the largest percentage of internet user at 44% of all users globally from its population of 3.8 billion, a penetration of 24%. China is by far the highest population of users at 485 million and India at 100 million. However China has only 504,000 Facebook users of its 485 million population connected to the internet while Indonesia has 38.8 million Facebook users of its 39.6 million internet users. (Minwatts Marketing Group).
China has a lower Facebook usage due to strict government censorship of free speech and blocking of many network sites such as Google, Youtube and Twitter of which has tightened further since the Olympics took place and Chinese police were viewed online beating Tibetian monks, however their internet policing is under constant challenge from populations who want the ‘truth’ (The Economist, 2010).
In total the world population estimate now at 6.93 billion with 2.11 billion Internet users and 710.7 million Facebook users as at 28th September 2011 (Minwatts Marketing Group, 2011)
The importance of the Internet in today’s society is of such magnitude that Sociologists are calling it a ‘post-broadcast, second media age’ rising with it questions of democracy, free speech and the public sphere (Holmes, 2007).
A current debate arising from the constantly fast evolving technologies exists between those who believe technologies serve human needs and those who believe technology shapes human evolution. These beliefs arise from a trail of evolving technologies of which will end when technologies can produce more technologies, making humans disposable. Both sides of the debate agree on one factor; historical turning points are marked by technological advances such as labour, trade, transport, medicine and weapons (Carr, 2010). And now the Internet and emerging digital technologies.
Further debates on whether the increasing use of digital media are good or bad for new generations have risen alongside the many concerns by parents, psychologists, psychiatrists, government institutions and health related professionals of the length of time young people spend online using either social network sites, video and computer games and cellphones.
This area of concern has risen to the level of seriousness that a near formalised diagnostic mental health classification labelled Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) globally by psychologists and psychiatrists is underway. These concerns however are further defined to excessive Internet use of which ‘excessive’ is still to be further defined while the issue of IAD is so far being identified by mental health professionals when perceived as an interference with other areas of a person’s life. A similar case is that of video and computer games where excessive use can be detrimental rather than beneficial to children, alongside the fact that unequivocal evidence shows violent video games are highly negative in their affects. Later in the chapter this research is presented.
Evidence surrounding brain changes including memory, reading and academic performance, relationship changes and Internet addiction effects. Particularly evidence is concerned with young people as this portion of the population has become deeply integrated with Internet technologies on a daily basis since birth. Quote “children under one year old spend approximately 49 minutes per day using screen media, children 2-3 years approximately 1.5 hours. Overall children 8-18 years are exposed to media 10.45 hours per day” (Gutnick, 2010)
Much controversy surrounds the fact that Internet use provides many benefits for everyone, particularly the ability to access information of which was further extended when computers were supplied by governments to third world countries to help educate their people. While this appeared to be of some benefit educationally, on the other hand evidence for long term internet use on academic performance, even though scarce, appears more negative than positive, does not provide any strong evidence of benefits to people and in fact high internet use shows some impairment of performance over a long term.
A need for research in this area is well in demand as stated by leading experts in the field of Neurological science and online effects, Professor Linda Jackson, Professor Larry Rosen and Professor and Dr Gary Small. In fact when asked via email requesting information I may have missed, each one of these professionals advised that nothing is available for further discovery and Dr Small stated he was in the process of directing a group of researchers to study the effects on young people now.
Moreover, the use of gaming is highly promoted by businesses and government agencies interested in economical benefits particularly as it is one of the highest income producers for the US economy currently. These organisations promote the benefits of the games, while many others believe it is harmful as seen in academic research. It is useful to note at this stage that TV even though not a focus of this chapter has not yet been displaced by the Internet and other new technologies and remains the highest used digital technology globally. 80% of families have cable or satellite TV and children watch at least three hours per day and four on the weekends. No matter how many new technologies emerge, TV keeps its powerful presence and has become a backdrop to family life and it can now be consumed on computers, mobiles and handheld devices (Gutnick, 2010).
Written by K.Krawford Oct 2011
This is an interview I had with a news reporter on social media effects. Much of what I had researched in this area has been covered by APA and other organisations. However my comments expand somewhat on the report from Pew Amercia and overall research effects
