Has the internet become a negative spot for our society? Since 2008 when the internet became a popular activity for young adults, it has spiralled into many directions positive and negative. Since our internet capability has increased many companies and employers have started to use the internet for background checks. This could really make or break the chances of you getting the job. If you’re one of those people who posts everything that you do these actions could cost you not getting hired by the company. In the beginning of the internet there were two important technology advancements made, one was the personal computer, this allowed anyone with access to a phone line to get onto the internet. More advancements started to happen and at that point anyone with a computer could access the internet. We all know what web pages are because we use them everyday, but the development of the web browser is what gave us access to web pages. What’s interesting is that blogs were made to give access to people who wanted to give reviews, investigate sources and find new stories without having to be professional or a platform of publication. It gave people access to speak freely about how they feel and to speak their opinions. The internet has enough power that it has allowed itself to be available to anyone and everyone. It is shown that the “Internet Paradox” is a form of communication but, says that teenagers who use the internet are prone to lack social interaction. This is because teenagers are only focused on the device that connects them to the internet. Ever since the internet has advanced that statement, it has been disproved by the fact that many sites like facebook and World of Warcraft have made it possible for people to meet in person.

The documentary Digital Nation talked about how we’re physically in the same place but in different worlds when we are on our phones. Mostly everyday we are looking at many screens and can easily become distracted by this technology. One thing that stuck out to me is how people multitask with technology. There are people who can do homework or study and also be doing something else which seems very difficult. What came up in class is that art students are known to be good at multitasking. I believe this to be true, I have a suite mate who is an art and design major and she often times is doing two art projects at once while listening to edm music. To me this seems very difficult but to her its normal and helps her get through everything she needs to get done.

Later in the documentary they start to talk about South Korea and their internet problems. South Korea is known for their legendary internet cafes. Thousands of these cafes are open 24/7 with high internet access and teens are able to play video games all day and night. Their society has started to realize it is becoming an addiction to most of them. It is known that 1 and 3 children in Korea use the internet, this is not a good statistic seeming how young they are. A positive to come out of this is that South Korea is the first country to take control of this addiction that is happening in their country. Many of these teens have a hard time communicating with their family members. This is because of their addiction and they have become distant and have minimal social interaction. Korea has started to come out with rescue camps, where teens go to loose their addiction to the internet and video games . Many of these kids have started to have medical problems as in eye strains from staring at the screen for so long and ear complication from wearing headphones all the time. Before the internet was a big hit many researchers believed the internet was going to help people in a positive way. There are many concerns with American parents wanting to know how their children have figured out the ways of the internet without being taught. I believe it’s something to do with our generation being born into all this technology it’s easier to learn and grasp.

Another topic that was discussed was World of WarCraft. This game has brought millions of people together in a virtual world. The players travel to different places on mechanic birds and horses and have different quests they have to win. Many of the players have said it allows you to be different from who you truly are. It allows the players to feel special in their own kind of way. To us our imagination is a powerful tool to our brain. This game has had fan conventions that has allowed the players to meet in person. The players consider each other life long friends some of them have even married from meeting in the game. The negative aspect of the game is players have become so addicted they quit their jobs just to be able to play from morning to night. Many of the addicted players usually play 10 or more hours a week.

The United States military is using the computers to do stimulations to treat troops who are suffering from PTSD. This is a positive move for our society because we are helping troops feel normal again. There are many emotions that happen during these sessions. To the military this is a new way of recruiting by using video games its a soft sell. This shows teens what it could be like on the battlefield. The military knows it can’t embrace today’s youth, they are never going to recruit the kind of soldiers that they need though just video games but it’s a start.

Question to the class: Do you think the internet has a positive or negative affect on us?