Two Sides of the Coin
Famous Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda once said “There are always two forces warring against each other within us.” The forces that were mentioned are namely the “good” and the “bad.” What makes something good or bad? Can we stick to one mere definition of “good” and “bad”? Like in many situations, addictions to certain things can be perceived as having two sides. Most likely, these addictions are seen as being bad. One of the most popular examples for this is the way Internet usage has been categorized among today’s college students. The Internet has become a part of students’ lives and for some of them it has become an addiction. In many instances, being addicted to the Internet has two sides to itself. The high usage of the Internet among today’s college students can be either a bad or a good influence.
It is often the case that “bad” gets the attention of the society. Why is the Internet usually seen as a “bad” influence on students and as the one “bad” entity that developed with technology? Finding the answer to this question will take a lot of time and research. There has been a lot of research conducted in order to further study the bad impact of the Internet. Dr. Christakis’ research results show that “for adolescents and young adults, this topic is worthy of special consideration, as they have been at high risk for behavioral addictions” (Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 2011). This article is important because it highlights why we must pay more attention to this topic. Dr Christakis’ research showed that four percent of 224 students were addicted to the Internet, which is an alarming percentage. In his study he has also connote that high usage of Internet may lead to severe depression (Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 2011). Another effect the researchers have come across is that young adults are at a risk of facing Multiple-Risk Behavior due to the high usage of the Internet (Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 2011). This research
It is often the case that “bad” gets the attention of the society. Why is the Internet usually seen as a “bad” influence on students and as the one “bad” entity that developed with technology? Finding the answer to this question will take a lot of time and research. There has been a lot of research conducted in order to further study the bad impact of the Internet. Dr. Christakis’ research results show that “for adolescents and young adults, this topic is worthy of special consideration, as they have been at high risk for behavioral addictions” (Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 2011). This article is important because it highlights why we must pay more attention to this topic. Dr Christakis’ research showed that four percent of 224 students were addicted to the Internet, which is an alarming percentage. In his study he has also connote that high usage of Internet may lead to severe depression (Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 2011). Another effect the researchers have come across is that young adults are at a risk of facing Multiple-Risk Behavior due to the high usage of the Internet (Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 2011). This research
References: Seattle Children 's Research Institute. (2011, June 27). Studies examine impact of media use among youth, recommend preventative measures. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/06/110627162833.htm Inderscience Publishers (2011, May 9). Social learning: Can Facebook and related tools improve educational outcomes?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com French, R. (2010, July 7). Positive effects of internet addiction. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/168003-positive-effects-of-internet-addiction/ Internet 'most important tool ' for business. ( 2009, March 19). Retrieved from http://www.linkingmatters.com/internet-most-important-tool-for-business