'THE INTERNET PARADOX' (Learning Journal Week 7)

This week's task seems quite interesting, i suppose it sums up
issues we have discussed and argued about in past weeks.
the 'internet paradox' refer to the issues of depression and
loneliness online and the pschological effects constant use of the
internet may have on users especially teenagers. Mellon's conclusion
from the study into 'internet paradox' is that "the internet actually
increases depression and loneliness". Whilst J.Newcomer opposes the
conclusion on the grounds that it is inconclusive as other factors have
not been taken into account, ( pls read the article below and follow
the links).
I find myself in a situation where i agree to some extent with both of them.
I have always been of the opinion that the internet to a great extent
increases anti-social behaviour as most people who spend hours chatting
on the web still find it difficult to relate with their peers in real life.
Although i agree with the conclusive find that the use of the internet
in most cases can be linked to boredom (i.e. we go on msn to chat with our
mates when we feel bored), My opposition in agreement with Newcomer's
views is that the internet cannot be solely blamed or responsible for the
depression and isolation felt by the teenage users. As Newcome said,
other factors such as family, society, economy etc can contribute to the
psychological well being of some users.

Deconstructing the Internet Paradox (ARTICLE)
By Joseph M. Newcomer
http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/views/j_newcomer_1.html

With ­ or without -- the Internet, teenagers can become depressed and lonely. Recent studies have examined the effects of the Internet on its users. One such study is from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), entitled "Internet Paradox: A Social Technology That Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well-Being?" This report concludes that the Internet, in opposition to claims made otherwise, actually increases depression and loneliness

First off, you don't have to take my word for it. Read the original report at http://www.apa.org/journals/amp/amp5391017.html and decide for yourself.The CMU report states that it is demonstrated that after one to two years of using the Internet, individuals exhibited reduced social interactions and increased depression. Consequently, use of the Internet is responsible for reduced social interaction and increased depression. This is fodder for anti-technologists, demagogues of every stripe, and I believe is a destructive position for a society to take. It will panic any number of parents, educators and pseudo-scientists into attempting to regulate, ban or demean a new technology.

The most significant defect about this study, and one I find overwhelming, is that there is no control group. There is no way to say if the results are due to the Internet, due to the economy, due to the specific demographics of the group chosen, or could be induced by any activity with one or more characteristics of the Internet. In fact, for one of the results, there is no evidence to suggest that the variance is not due to simple statistical variance in the result.
The study showed teens used the Internet more than adults. No surprises here. Most teens have more curiosity and more "disposable time" than most adults. Greater use of the Internet showed subsequent declines in family communication. No surprises here. What this study really appears to show is that the introduction of any new, fascinating, individual activity decreases family communication. The Internet is merely one instance of such an activity, and why it is singled out as being a Bad Influence when compared with, say, chess playing, ham radio, computers without Internet access, amateur astronomy, learning a musical instrument, building model airplanes, or rebuilding a car makes me wonder. The conclusion isUsing the Internet decreases family communication.


PS: SEE SEMINAR COMMENTS FOR WEEK 6 TASK ON
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (COFP).