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Spending too much time online can be considered a Problematic Internet Use or PIU. An issue that many students now have at universities and even high schools is “Facebook Stalking.” Facebook.com has become a site where you always want to go on it to check to see if anything new has been added to the news feed or to your own section. This is the perfect site to start your Problematic Internet Use problem.
Facebook may lead to PIU because of the applications connected to the site. On a members page you can view photos, videos, rescent interactions on facebook, see what music you have, sports teams interest, and etc. There are endless supplies of things to look at on facebook, which help you become a stalker. You don’t recognize how much time you use because it all seems like such little things but they all add up at the end. Its accessibility is very fast and convenient which encourages the addiction to come into play. The biggest factor would have to be the news feed since it updates you to every one of your friends on everything they are doing. When a status changes you are the first to know, when a relationship is done you are the first to know, its like having a 24/7 gossip blog on your favorite site.
Caplan’s model applies to facebook just as much as PIU. Some people find it easier to communicate online through wall post than talking in person to someone. Facebook allows the shy talker (FTF) to open up on Facebook (CMC) and become more comfortable with himself. Interactions now become easier because you already know something about the person you are interacting with and have more confidence. These types of feelings lead to go on facebook more then normal and become more outgoing through CMC communication.
Monday, November 5, 2007
"Just let me check my email"
Constantly spending time checking and replying to emails has the capability of causing one to become a problematic Internet user. Making sure that you are not “late” with a response to friends and family will continue to put you behind the computer screen checking emails. Having the ability to forward emails to your cell phone has once again increased the accessibility and usage of email.
Caplan suggests that problematic Internet use stems from 3 major factors. He believes that people with psychosocial problems begin to hold negative perceptions of their social competence. They prefer online interaction because it is less threatening and they are able to feel more successful. The preference to communicate online only grows because they become obsessive and compulsive with their online interaction, and in turn begin to spend longer amounts online.
People have begun the notion that they can only communicate through email. Sometimes they will only resort to email as a mean of communication. Being able to access the email at home, work and school (Caplan 2004) will also have an affect on how much people really spend using their email accounts. Even though it has evolved into a very meaningful way to communicate, using email constantly can be viewed as an addiction. When someone is in communication with many people through email, they sometimes begin to lose contact through other means and eventually just rely on the email service. Once contacts become associated through email, this form of communication usually wins and is used constantly, therefore checking and responding to emails becomes an obsession.
Having access to email through the Internet everywhere, including on your cell phone has made escaping the habit nearly impossible. Once using email regularly, every visit to the Internet usually involves a quick stop to check out the inbox and respond to everyone who has developed the same addictive habit.
Caplan suggests that problematic Internet use stems from 3 major factors. He believes that people with psychosocial problems begin to hold negative perceptions of their social competence. They prefer online interaction because it is less threatening and they are able to feel more successful. The preference to communicate online only grows because they become obsessive and compulsive with their online interaction, and in turn begin to spend longer amounts online.
People have begun the notion that they can only communicate through email. Sometimes they will only resort to email as a mean of communication. Being able to access the email at home, work and school (Caplan 2004) will also have an affect on how much people really spend using their email accounts. Even though it has evolved into a very meaningful way to communicate, using email constantly can be viewed as an addiction. When someone is in communication with many people through email, they sometimes begin to lose contact through other means and eventually just rely on the email service. Once contacts become associated through email, this form of communication usually wins and is used constantly, therefore checking and responding to emails becomes an obsession.
Having access to email through the Internet everywhere, including on your cell phone has made escaping the habit nearly impossible. Once using email regularly, every visit to the Internet usually involves a quick stop to check out the inbox and respond to everyone who has developed the same addictive habit.
Assignment 9? What about the body???
Problematic Internet Use, or PIU is something that has been described in ranges from drug-like addiction to a person’s lack of self control. As a member of the first generation to be born and raised online and now in college, I see a massive amount of PIU. It is a real problem that causes real harm to real people. The problem I will focus on is gaming. I am sure there are studies on it and someone calculated how much money the economy loses due to gaming. However, I will discuss the individual, intangible damages that can occur, why online gaming can lead to PIU, and compare what I have found to Caplan’s Theory (which will be introduced later).
My personal experience with online gaming consists of the little flash and javascript games like the ones at addictinggames.com. I have once or twice tried games like Starcraft or Age of Empires online, but the learning curve to be competitive wasn’t worth my time. However, I have witnessed many other people with PIU involving games. The games I am specifically thinking of are World of Warcraft, Age of Empires and Diablo. The World of Warcraft and Diablo are games where an avatar is created to represent the player, and the Age of Empires game, the user is an invisible commander directing and raising troops in battles. I know people who have gotten hooked for short periods of time and played through a couple of days of class, I know someone who played one game through an exam on accident, and finally the worst of the scenarios that I know of, someone had a habit of staying up really late with other “guys in the dorm” playing games to the point where he was getting less than 4 hours of sleep, and ended up getting removed from the Varsity Sport he was on because he couldn’t keep up his grades or concentrate in practice. He also did not return the following year to school.
Clearly, PIU is a real problem that causes real, personal problems and damages. What is it about online gaming that can do this? I think that while there are the characteristics of socializing online, helped by removing gated features and interactional control, I think that online gaming has a much more physiological reason. I think people spend hours on end playing video games because they are socializing with other people and completing missions and being entertained, but they do not have to expend energy to do so. Playing Madden 2011 or whatever is out, for 6 hours straight is nothing compared to playing football for 6 hours straight, or doing anything task oriented that involves action for 6 hours straight. I will mention that the problem isn’t as bad for people who play offline, but I think it is also because people last much longer when doing anything socially, and when physiological problems don’t arise, people can just go for hours.
Caplan’s Theory (Theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-Being) rides on an idea of a one way cycle of preference for online interaction leading to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then worsens their problems offline leading to the beginning. I think this can be very simply applied to the online gaming world. People start to play to much World of Warcraft and they screw up in sports and school. Then, wanting to feel some sort of success instead of the intense failure they’ve had all day, they play World of Warcraft without realizing how much time they’re on again, and so on and so on. Caplan mentions that if you have a psychosocial problem it will probably be made worse and make you more addicted to excessive internet use.
I think that Caplan is right in that PIU isn’t because of the internet’s addictive personality, but it is because of addictive people finding a medium that can cater to their wants more easily. Like I mentioned before however, I think online interaction, and especially gaming is easier physiologically, leading to more extended periods of time searching for gaming success, social success, or just raw pleasure and entertainment.
blog 9: Y U OUTBID ME
So here's is a picture that inspired my entry. It's from ihashascheezburger.com
I think this illustrates how bidding on online auction sites can turn into a problematic internet usage.
Need an unlocked phone? Want to find a pair of Jessica Simpson stilettos sold out online? Must get a Star wars Christmas ornament from 1986 for your significant other? Ebay probably has it! Since Ebay opened in1995, it drew billions of users to list, bid and buy items globally at the convenience of home. Wallace cites the number of items as 2 million. I saw 2 million items listed under "collectibles" category alone.
Sellers list items at a nominal fee, add descriptions, pictures and additional informations such as policy regarding shipping and handling. Prospective buyers search the website using a powerful search engine that generates a list of items that fit into specified criteria. When you like something, you make an offer. If someone else wants it, the bidding starts! There can be anywhere from zero to hundreds of offers and the highest price wins the item.
It attracts a great number of users, because availability is not limited on locations or time. As mentioned earlier, items listed can accommodate almost any needs.If the item desired is illegal or rare in your area, ebay is a very attractive source with a great degree of protection of privacy. Most purchases are made through PayPal, preventing credit card information from leaking to sellers. Also Ebay grew into a community; sellers and users establish reliability by receiving feedbacks.
Online auction sites can promote problematic internet use (PIU), because of addictive quality.Why bid online rather than shop from mega online stores, such as amazon.com or smaller mom-and-pop stores? Often items have low starting bid to attract users and bidding activities are concentrated on the last minutes, if not seconds. The addicted laments that excitement of bidding and rush of adrenaline by winning the item can outweigh the actual value of item purchased. The unpredictability lures in prospective buyers. The feature that allows bidding by text-messaging expanded the addictive quality. You can continue bidding anywhere!
Caplan describes a vicious cycle that promotes PIU. Psychosocial problems promote low social competence. Internet interactions become attractive, because it appears less threatening and efficacious. As a result, excessive, compulsive use of internet is rewarded, further promoting the cycle. Although online bidding may not directly influence social competence, there may be a correlation between users who do get addicted to ebay and global psychosocial health. Ebay allows relative anonymous activity. It's possible that some addicted users feel uncomfortable interacting with others offline. Online bidding can resemble gambling. Preoccupation with bidding can disrupt daily functions.
I think this illustrates how bidding on online auction sites can turn into a problematic internet usage.
Need an unlocked phone? Want to find a pair of Jessica Simpson stilettos sold out online? Must get a Star wars Christmas ornament from 1986 for your significant other? Ebay probably has it! Since Ebay opened in1995, it drew billions of users to list, bid and buy items globally at the convenience of home. Wallace cites the number of items as 2 million. I saw 2 million items listed under "collectibles" category alone. Sellers list items at a nominal fee, add descriptions, pictures and additional informations such as policy regarding shipping and handling. Prospective buyers search the website using a powerful search engine that generates a list of items that fit into specified criteria. When you like something, you make an offer. If someone else wants it, the bidding starts! There can be anywhere from zero to hundreds of offers and the highest price wins the item.
It attracts a great number of users, because availability is not limited on locations or time. As mentioned earlier, items listed can accommodate almost any needs.If the item desired is illegal or rare in your area, ebay is a very attractive source with a great degree of protection of privacy. Most purchases are made through PayPal, preventing credit card information from leaking to sellers. Also Ebay grew into a community; sellers and users establish reliability by receiving feedbacks.
Online auction sites can promote problematic internet use (PIU), because of addictive quality.Why bid online rather than shop from mega online stores, such as amazon.com or smaller mom-and-pop stores? Often items have low starting bid to attract users and bidding activities are concentrated on the last minutes, if not seconds. The addicted laments that excitement of bidding and rush of adrenaline by winning the item can outweigh the actual value of item purchased. The unpredictability lures in prospective buyers. The feature that allows bidding by text-messaging expanded the addictive quality. You can continue bidding anywhere!
Caplan describes a vicious cycle that promotes PIU. Psychosocial problems promote low social competence. Internet interactions become attractive, because it appears less threatening and efficacious. As a result, excessive, compulsive use of internet is rewarded, further promoting the cycle. Although online bidding may not directly influence social competence, there may be a correlation between users who do get addicted to ebay and global psychosocial health. Ebay allows relative anonymous activity. It's possible that some addicted users feel uncomfortable interacting with others offline. Online bidding can resemble gambling. Preoccupation with bidding can disrupt daily functions.
#9 - online shopping
For this assignement I have chosen to analyse whether online shopping provides an opportunity for individuals to engage in Problematic Internet Use (PIU) which Caplan (2004) defines as “maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving Internet use that result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences.” Individuals with access to the internet can now buy just about anything their hearts' desire without ever leaving the comfort of their own home. In fact, it is likely that people ordering items online are doing so because they do not have physical access to their desired purchases. Thus, the convenience of online shopping provides an explanation for why it has easily grown into a huge market in which items ranging from cars, to shoes, to ice cream can be bought and delivered across the world at the click of a button. Currently, online shopping is not necessarily catergorized with many other problematic online behaviors, such as pornography and gambling, as potentially "addictive." However, this does not remove the possibility that individuals who do a lot of online shopping are at risk for Probelmatic Internet Use.
Online shopping covers a broad variety of online interactions. Internet users may visit the websites of their favorite retail stores to purchase clothing (for example) directly from a vendor. They may order these items for themselves or have them sent directly to somebody else. More recently, sites such as e-bay which allow users to both buy and sell items from other users of the site, have become increasingly popular. Rather than involving a large company, ebay provides a smaller community where people who have never met trust each other with not only their belongings but with their financial information, because of the security and social norm associated with the site. These two different examples provide two very different examples of shopping online, but both provie an area in which internet users can aquire objects withouth being physically, financially responsible for their purchases. There are no photo ID's checked in online checkouts, and no ability to determine whether the credit card information being entered actually belongs to the person entering it. Thus, online shopping provides an opportunity for indivuduals to take advantage of several of Caplan's factors for determing which behaviors constitute PIU: anonymity, less perceived social risk, and less social responsibility.
The unique properties of the online space provided by online shopping sites allow users to take advantage of its anonymity not only in a financial sense, but also in the fact that they can hide purchases that they consider unfit for public display. Although it may be a drastic example, there has been a large increase in online purchases from sex sites, that will even send packages in discrete packaging to keep the puchases anonymous to everybody but the user. In this sense, users are able to dissociate themselves with purchases they deem inappropriate, and avoid the social responsibility that they have to present themselves in a certain way.
Davis, Flett, and Bessner (2002) note that PIU has four dimensions: diminished impluse control, lonliness/depression, social comfort, and procrastination. I believe that online shopping provides a space in which many of these factors come into play. For example, with the sex shop example, the social comfort of keeping purchases anonymous is provided by the online nature of the shopping experience. Furthermore, users tend to shop alone online, whereas in person it is often a social event, where your peer may help discourage you from making poor decisions. This fact, combined with the indirect financial consequence of online shopping provide an environment in which diminished impulse control is certainly present in users. Associating yourself with a site such as ebay, where members communicate and chat with each other also provides a space to cure lonliness and an area for procrastination.
Online shopping, if used only moderately, certainly provides all the convenience that a busy lifestyle needs. You don't have to leave home to shop, spend time in busy stores, and look for items than may not be directly available to you. Although no evidence that it leads to PIU in the sense that Caplan (2004) defines it (i.e. negative academic, professional and social consequences) the factors for developing an addiction to online shopping are certainly present and must be actively monitored in order to avoid developing problematic internet use.
Online shopping covers a broad variety of online interactions. Internet users may visit the websites of their favorite retail stores to purchase clothing (for example) directly from a vendor. They may order these items for themselves or have them sent directly to somebody else. More recently, sites such as e-bay which allow users to both buy and sell items from other users of the site, have become increasingly popular. Rather than involving a large company, ebay provides a smaller community where people who have never met trust each other with not only their belongings but with their financial information, because of the security and social norm associated with the site. These two different examples provide two very different examples of shopping online, but both provie an area in which internet users can aquire objects withouth being physically, financially responsible for their purchases. There are no photo ID's checked in online checkouts, and no ability to determine whether the credit card information being entered actually belongs to the person entering it. Thus, online shopping provides an opportunity for indivuduals to take advantage of several of Caplan's factors for determing which behaviors constitute PIU: anonymity, less perceived social risk, and less social responsibility.
The unique properties of the online space provided by online shopping sites allow users to take advantage of its anonymity not only in a financial sense, but also in the fact that they can hide purchases that they consider unfit for public display. Although it may be a drastic example, there has been a large increase in online purchases from sex sites, that will even send packages in discrete packaging to keep the puchases anonymous to everybody but the user. In this sense, users are able to dissociate themselves with purchases they deem inappropriate, and avoid the social responsibility that they have to present themselves in a certain way.
Davis, Flett, and Bessner (2002) note that PIU has four dimensions: diminished impluse control, lonliness/depression, social comfort, and procrastination. I believe that online shopping provides a space in which many of these factors come into play. For example, with the sex shop example, the social comfort of keeping purchases anonymous is provided by the online nature of the shopping experience. Furthermore, users tend to shop alone online, whereas in person it is often a social event, where your peer may help discourage you from making poor decisions. This fact, combined with the indirect financial consequence of online shopping provide an environment in which diminished impulse control is certainly present in users. Associating yourself with a site such as ebay, where members communicate and chat with each other also provides a space to cure lonliness and an area for procrastination.
Online shopping, if used only moderately, certainly provides all the convenience that a busy lifestyle needs. You don't have to leave home to shop, spend time in busy stores, and look for items than may not be directly available to you. Although no evidence that it leads to PIU in the sense that Caplan (2004) defines it (i.e. negative academic, professional and social consequences) the factors for developing an addiction to online shopping are certainly present and must be actively monitored in order to avoid developing problematic internet use.
Assignment 9: Picking up girls online
There are many online activities associated with Problematic Internet Use including porn, Facebook and away message stalking, online poker…etc. However, the one that I have chosen to look at for this assignment is a self proclaimed addicting use of the internet: addictinggames.com. The website, www.addictinggames.com has hundreds of online games that cause people to develop an addiction, whether it is an addiction to beat some of the games, such as the Impossible Quiz, my personal favorite, arcade games, sports games, and adventure games.
However, recently, many games have been added that involve the use of avatars, such as Smooth Talker. This is a game in which a person can practice hitting on women in a bar by telling them a joke, complimenting them, or being flat out vulgar (use your imagination). Although some people may use the site for procrastination or use it during some classes, such as my roommate who sits in a computer lab (section) for two hours a week, some use this in lieu of face to face social interaction and it eventually leads to a problem. Caplan states problematic internet use is associated with people who are more lonely and depressed individuals than others and who may develop a preference for online social interaction in place of face to face interaction which in turn leads to negative outcomes associated with their internet use. This preference for online social interaction is an important aspect because “individuals who suffer from psychosocial distress, such as loneliness and depression, hold negative perceptions of their own social competence” (Caplan 627). They already see themselves as being socially inept and the internet provides an outlet for them.
For example, in the game Smooth Talker, the first action you need to do is pick on one of the four girls sitting in the bar. You are then told to pick an action, one of twenty actions and you either pick the right one or strike out. It even seems like it contains operant conditioning because the online users are forced to note which actions they have chosen and which pick-up actions have been turned down. It will help them stay alert and make changes in the future. You are able to keep picking actions until you pick the correct action, the thing that makes this game in particular so addicting. These games can lead to PUI because they do not cost anything and are easily accessible. They also, although perhaps not at first, make you feel good about yourself. In smooth talker, the girl will always accept your action if she likes the one you pick. These games do become a problem because you may eventually gain a preference for this online social interaction which can worsen problems at home, school, and work.
However, recently, many games have been added that involve the use of avatars, such as Smooth Talker. This is a game in which a person can practice hitting on women in a bar by telling them a joke, complimenting them, or being flat out vulgar (use your imagination). Although some people may use the site for procrastination or use it during some classes, such as my roommate who sits in a computer lab (section) for two hours a week, some use this in lieu of face to face social interaction and it eventually leads to a problem. Caplan states problematic internet use is associated with people who are more lonely and depressed individuals than others and who may develop a preference for online social interaction in place of face to face interaction which in turn leads to negative outcomes associated with their internet use. This preference for online social interaction is an important aspect because “individuals who suffer from psychosocial distress, such as loneliness and depression, hold negative perceptions of their own social competence” (Caplan 627). They already see themselves as being socially inept and the internet provides an outlet for them.
For example, in the game Smooth Talker, the first action you need to do is pick on one of the four girls sitting in the bar. You are then told to pick an action, one of twenty actions and you either pick the right one or strike out. It even seems like it contains operant conditioning because the online users are forced to note which actions they have chosen and which pick-up actions have been turned down. It will help them stay alert and make changes in the future. You are able to keep picking actions until you pick the correct action, the thing that makes this game in particular so addicting. These games can lead to PUI because they do not cost anything and are easily accessible. They also, although perhaps not at first, make you feel good about yourself. In smooth talker, the girl will always accept your action if she likes the one you pick. These games do become a problem because you may eventually gain a preference for this online social interaction which can worsen problems at home, school, and work.
iTunes Music Store: iMaddicted
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!
Don't believe me... http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?t=9373
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