Bonus Assignment: The Future Freaks Me Out...

When deciding what it is, exactly, that the future of the internet, and the subsequent psychology associated with it, will hold, I first tried to figure out what it is that will change most. It can generally be agreed upon that the internet of the future will be faster, have better graphics, be more involved/realistic, and be more universal. All of these changes, on their own, are positive, and should generally make internet use a more positive experience for everyone. It is likely, however, that these changes will bring with them an increased occurrence of problematic internet use, a serious problem that afflicts a myriad of different internet users around the world today.

Currently, problematic internet use is defined by Caplan (2004) as maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving Internet use that result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences. Maladaptive behavior includes both excessive, amount of time exceeding planned, and compulsive, inability to control one’s online activity, use. Caplan also came up with the Theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychological Well-Being, which reads as follows:

1. individuals with psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence
2. these individuals prefer online interaction because it is less threatening and they feel more efficacious
3. preference for online interaction leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then worsens their problems (at school, home, work)

1, leads to 2, which leads to 3, which only increases the feelings and emotions that are experienced in 1, creating a self perpetuating cycle that results in a downward emotional spiral.

People are still going to have problems in the future, so it seems unlikely that the psychological problems that lead to problematic internet use are going to be leaving society anytime soon. There are also, however, properties of the internet that encourage and promote problematic internet use. These include, but are not limited to, availability, access to human contact twenty-four-seven, worlds and environments that allow you to escape from your own, and online social interaction methods that can, for some, act as a substitute for real world social interactions. It can be expected that these properties will only become stronger as the internet advances and becomes more effective at drawing users in.

Imagine this: An online world that is as real as life itself. In this world you can walk around, you can eat, you can talk with your friends, you can live in your expensive house, you can drive your boats and your cars, and you can kiss and make love to your significant other. All of this, as real to you as life itself. Now, ask yourself why, if you had a dream world where none of life’s real problems existed, would you ever want to leave?