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 Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:04 pm
There have been reports that places such as myspace and Gaia are encouraging kids to stay at home and build up their social skills on the keyboard; while it tears down their social skills outside the home; making them almost hermit like in occupation.
So I ask you, do places such as this promote or discouarage social interaction? And should there be a balence between time on the computer and time ouutside?
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:50 pm
That's just something a bunch of doctors wrote to give parents an excuse for limiting their kids time on the computer, which they shouldn't need. As parents, they set the rules.
Anywho, I feel that sites like this encourage social interaction. People who meet here often tend to schedule real life meetings with friends at places like anime conventions and such. Also, for those of us with a low income, this is a great cost effective way of socializing without spending a fortune walking around the mall or something
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:35 pm
This is touching on what I'm going to do for my Honours'/Masters' thesis...
I would have to say yes and no. In a certain amount of cases, it's encouraging the child to be socially warm and oriented towards others, yet at the same time, if the child is slightly unsaviourly, will get burnt by people online for being too fat or something trival. Assumedly, this would result in a knock about of self-esteem and self-image, which depending on the child once again would either have a lasting effect or simply be brushed off.
Trends are different throughout the world: The American user tends to be anybody in the economic stratasphere, with any background and social orientation (such as extroverted or introverted), the majority of users in South Africa differ in regards to computers still being seen as an item of luxury rather than that of necessity. Sure, just about every student that attends a tertiary institution has exposure to typing their assignment up sometime on the computer or using Edulink/WebCT, their exposure to other more non-scholarly aspects is often limited unless of course the student has a computer at home (like myself for instance). What I am getting at is, that the majority of people who make use of the computer religiously tend to be introverted rather than that of extroverted because there is still a tradition of "doing something else" when your friends have other plans, etc. I think that the internet chat areas such as Gaia or virtual chats are good in improving social skills and learning more social cues, especially if you are "shy".
BUT!
My question is, what if you have a psychopathological mental disorder? Can the Internet be just as addictive as Gambling or Drinking? Where do you draw the line between addiction and anxiety related disorders (particualrly Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), where the client is plagued by obsessive intrusive thoughts that can be easily quelled through compulsive behaviours which can be done by playing Pogo.com repeatedly until you have gotten a "perfect" score, or even becoming a "forum rat"? As you have asked, is socialisation affected due to the Internet? It's important to realise that most OCD sufferers have an amalgamation and combination of anxiety and mood disorders, whereas a small fear of absolutely believing that you are capable of rape would keep many an OCD sufferer housebound. The reason why OCD sufferers have rituals to perform is to prevent the plaguing thoughts that remind them how "bad" they "are" as individuals which results in a chronic depression as well as paranoia in some cases.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:49 am
This is a good point. Currently, I am on both Myspace and Gaia. I think in some ways it's good because, depending on your internet provider, you can talk to your friends in a much more inexpensive way than calling on the phone and it allows you to meet people from all around the globe without leaving the comfort of your own home. However, it keeps people from experiencing the outside world. It is the same with video games. My friend Amanda (La Meep for all of you who are familiar with her) and my friend Ingrid were on a debate. She hardly ever goes outside and when she does, she complains. Ingrid said, "How are you going to experience new things?" Amanda replied, "I'll play new video games!" I felt kind of...disgusted. I do spend quite a while on the computer, but I go outside. I enjoy camping and hiking and stuff like that. Ingrid knows that she can call me to go outside with her because I'll go and enjoy myself.
It is sort of all in moderation. Some people would be just as introverted without computers, even more so. I value the friends I make online because they are all wonderful people. I enjoy their company and like hearing about how they live. Some spend all of their time on there, though, and they worry me.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:33 pm
Spiffy Negligee It is sort of all in moderation. Some people would be just as introverted without computers, even more so. I value the friends I make online because they are all wonderful people. I enjoy their company and like hearing about how they live. Some spend all of their time on there, though, and they worry me. Everything should be done in moderation...I lost so many years being a grumpy-a** cow staying at home while I was a teenager. Now, when I'm a little older and wiser, I realize how much of a social reject I am. This goes hand-in-hand with my personality, which I don't really want to be discussing because it's a very sore topic... Long story short, a new game might be great to experience something "new", but at the end of the day, we still need human contact and socialisation, b***h-hermit or not.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:18 pm
I feel that the big problem is the the Universal Law of Internet Conduct, which states that:
Normal person + annonymity + audience = TOTAL ******** made accounts online on places like XUQA.com and Myspace, and mostly, I've used myspace to find high school friends who went all over the place and I've not heard from them in awhile.
On XUQA, however, I'm merely trying to rack up as many "OMG UR TITZ R HUEG" comments as possible, because that's the basic literacy and cognition level of the people on there....and they profess to be COLLEGE students stare I weep for my generation.
Personally, I think that the internet has simply expanded my level of communication, but then again, I have always been a very social girl and have always made effort to make a lot of connections with other people, preferrably in person. But I've always been a phone whore (I keep people on it way too long), and I love to communicate no matter how far away I am from someone (Take Chidugi and Koi, for example, who I have actually called on the phone thanks to cellphone free minutes).
So, I think that the internet has given rise to the sheer number of people out there, but I tend to communicate a lot via Email with my coworkers and friends, as well as collegues in classes.
So, in all actuality, if you're simply adding the Internet to your list of things to do, that's one thing, but if you suppliment your interaction with other people with the Internet, that can be problematic.
I mean, how long could YOU stand guys posting "OMG UR TITZ R HUEG!!!!1111!!111!!!!eleventyone!!" ?
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:24 pm
The internet has allowed me to make my crude sexual innuendo's without the possibility of a kick to the nads.
So to summarize it has not effected my actions socially but Im rather unique so it may cause normal people to become hermits because it allows interaction without the possibility of face to face rejection. 3nodding
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:58 am
Oni-Angel On XUQA, however, I'm merely trying to rack up as many "OMG UR TITZ R HUEG" comments as possible, because that's the basic literacy and cognition level of the people on there....and they profess to be COLLEGE students stare I weep for my generation. I mean, how long could YOU stand guys posting "OMG UR TITZ R HUEG!!!!1111!!111!!!!eleventyone!!" ? I don't. I joined myspace just so that my internet friends can find me if they lose me, and if anybody is looking for me from school (and they're overseas, or haven't heard of classmates.com). Otherwise I get a bunch of Nigerian men who are 10 years or older trying to "court" me or "marry" me. Weekly. It's worse when I actually log on because then I get about several pouncing me...I don't have anything against anybody of any race, I just had a really bad experience with a Nigerian in the very real world and I was lucky to escape the place in time. I will admit, Nigerians scare the 'bejeebesus' out of me, but I do know that not every Nigerian is out to get me either. Otherwise, I have enough friends on and off the internet and if I make more, it's often through "good old fashion" means, and in the modern context, through internet boards like this 3nodding Your Neighbor Totoro ...so it may cause normal people to become hermits because it allows interaction without the possibility of face to face rejection. 3nodding That's the main reason why people love the internet. No face to face rejection. Hell, I'll admit, it's pretty awesome picking guys up online because they don't have to see your mug directly, but in no ways does it equate to the real thing. In fact, I would think you feel much more lonelier having an online relationship than with an offline relationship, simply because of the physical contact. If you constantly have your online love "hug" you all the time, you eventually want it in the flesh. At least with an offline love, you really do get a hug, etc.
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:01 am
Exactly madamfluff you hit the nail on the head.
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 1:55 pm
I personally spend all my time online while I can't be with my real friends and my girlfriend. It really isn't hard, When someone calls wanting to do something I get off the internet and go to meet them.
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Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:26 am
~zzang~ I personally spend all my time online while I can't be with my real friends and my girlfriend. It really isn't hard, When someone calls wanting to do something I get off the internet and go to meet them.
On that note, I'm going to go see if my friends want to do anything today. Now I just have to wait for them to wake up...
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