Assignment 9

It's no surprise that many people have problems with their internet use. We use the internet every single day for many, many daily activities: checking e-mail, chatting with friends, watching videos, listening to/downloading music, and the list goes on.

I've read about and watched many shows that share the stories of people who have become so addicted to online gaming that they have either dropped out of school, lost their jobs, and/or completely lost their circle of friends. This kind of internet space can easily lead to problematic internet use because someone who feels socially incompetent can make connections with people through the internet, which means not having to deal with verbal cues or having to form bonds through face to face interaction (which may be prevented by nervousness). Playing online games can also become addictive because once a player gets a little ways into the game, the urge to keep getting better and moving up in levels becomes even stronger and the need to spend more and more time online seems to be the only option.

This situation does work with Caplan's model because players (some may who may be very shy) feel that the internet is less threatening and feel more effacious. The internet space is definitely appealing because of many thing listed under the model, such as removal of gating features, anonymity, less perceived social risk, etc.

These games get more realistic with each new release, so realistic it seems as though you are in the real world when playing. This is very appealing for many people, like they can do extraordinary things in the normal world. Aspects such as this draw users in, and some take the game to all new levels.