After mastering the basics of its use, the Internet can be a very addicting medium. In a study titled, Preference for Online Social Interaction: A Theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-Being, Scott Caplan defines PIU (Problematic Internet Use) as “maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving Internet use that result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences.” In some cases, PIU may lead to excessive, and even compulsive (in which the individual is unable control his/her online activity), use of the Internet. With this in mind, one is left to wonder, why does PIU occur?
Regarding Caplin’s study, the Internet affords greater anonymity, greater control over self-presentation, less perceived social risk, more intense and intimate self-disclosure, and less social responsibility. Given these factors, I have decided to analyze the iTunes Music Store.
Opening on April 28, 2003, the iTunes Music Store has gained considerable popularity, “accounting for more than 80% of worldwide online digital music sales.” Currently charging a mere ninety-nine cents per song with only the push of a couple computer keys, iTunes Music Store’s attractiveness is not surprising. Because of its rising reputation, the iTunes Music Store now provides music videos/television shows and even movies at $1.99 and $9.99+, respectively. One of the greatest aspects of the Store is its accessibility. The past inconvenience of leaving the couch to rent a movie no longer applies, as iTunes provides millions of songs and thousands of television shows and videos. The iTunes Music Store has effectively made it possible to sit in your house the entire day, without moving, and still enjoy all sorts of entertainment. However, with these conveniences come a few problems…
In order to secure an account with the iTunes Music Store, all one needs do is enter a page of personal information, including a credit card number. After that, you never need to pull the card out again…it has been stored. The ease in purchasing songs in combination with the songs’ accessibility may lead users to forget the wasted money spent song after song, movie after movie. With each song, iTunes offers a list of related artists, tempting the user to continue browsing the Store. In addition to all of this, iTunes also allows you to sample thirty seconds of each song, thereby sucking the user even more into its addictive allure. Hours may be spent searching new types of music and wasting money, penny-by-penny (negative consequence), ultimately leading to Problematic Internet Use (PIU), in which the user lacks the ability to discontinue use. When I began using the iTunes Music Store, I really liked the ease of access and the fact that I did not have to pull out a credit card every few minutes. However, after five minutes and six songs downloaded (six dollars depleted), I realized the addictive nature of the site and quickly erased my account with the iTunes Music Store.
As Caplin’s study contends, greater anonymity, greater control over self-presentation, less perceived social risk, less social responsibility, and more intense and intimate self-disclosure, are a few of the advantages afforded by the Internet. In analyzing the iTunes Music Store and Problematic Internet Use, such terms useful in computer-mediated communication hardly apply. Nevertheless, greater anonymity may play a part in iTunes Music Store addiction. For instance, if an individual seeks an item that may be embarrassing to purchase in front of a cashier (i.e. an unrated movie), the anonymity afforded by iTunes eliminates the dilemma. Additionally, Caplin’s second hypothesis, which states that there is “a positive relationship between individuals’ degree of preference for online social interaction and symptoms of PIU,” also relates to iTunes Music Store addiction, as the basic idea that preference for online interaction (in this case it is not social) is positively correlated with symptoms of Problematic Internet Use. However, as explained in the last paragraph, the greatest problem with the iTunes Music Store is its ease of access and its many layers (all sorts of songs, videos, etc, and even recommendations for related songs) can lure in the unsuspecting “newbie” (new user) for both a price and time commitment far greater than anticipated. Watch out!
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2 comments:
The iTunes store is a great example of Problematic Internet Use. I really think you hit on two important elements, the accessibility aspect and newbie disease, of why people can come to buy music/movies on iTunes in an excessive and compulsive manner. I know when my Mom finally learned how to use it, she would sit at her computer for hours trying to find rare songs and didn’t realize how much money she was spending. I would also think that another underlying factor that might lead one to use iTunes addictively is the distraction/procrastination as discussed by Davis, Flett and Besser. When you have to do a report, wasting time on iTunes doesn’t seem like an irrational thing to do.
I thought it was very interesting how you talked about the anonymity part of iTunes and how that may be the reason why people are drawn into it. This proves that it is not always true that you must be socially unsure of yourself to be lured into PIU. You might simply be a secretive person and choose to use the internet in order to hide your actions. For my assignment I used online shopping. Perhaps your idea of anonymity and embarassment can also be applied here. Maybe people turn to online shopping because they can purchase things they would not want other people to see them purchasing.
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