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| Internet Addiction | | | Ramesh Pandita | 10/31/2011 10:38:40 PM |
| As has increased the appetite of man to wards electronics and its byproducts so has he created ways and means of its contention? World has already experienced electronic revolution and is at the threshold of 2nd electronic revolution, but still the contention seems no where near. Despite so much of advancement in the field of electronics, still the exploration & exploitation of electronics to the level of its exhaustion seems to be the only goal at cards with human mind. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one such area which has created great wonders and revolutionized human life in many ways, which humans may not have visualized in recent past. More or less man has become an unpredictable being; no body knows what this technology is going to offer next moment. With the fusion of information and technology, whole world has gone IT savvy, and to lesser or greater extent man is gradually progressing towards becoming the slave of technology. Technology has blessed us in many ways and is still on the move to create wonders for us, but only as long as we are able keep technology under control and make it work as our slave, and the moment we become its slave, these blessings will prove a great curse to us. Each time a new piece of technology comes to fore with added features and upgraded services, more and more we draw ourselves crazy towards it and more we put over selves to the risk of being getting caged into it. Human quest towards technology only to gratify senses by way of having a better dwelling has already reached to a stage where it has started living on the mercy of technology. The pace with which we have started dwelling with technology draws me apprehensive that all this may turn horrible in the days to come, especially the way we have grown dependent on it and the moment if it crash's or if we fail to handle or carry on with it, the whole structure may collapse. Technology with latest features, upgraded services and without looking into its pros and cons we embrace it with our both hands. None of us is novice to technological advancements and its ugly face which it has shown from time to time, but still most of time we tend to either ignore these brutal facts or put a blind eye to it. Of the late it is internet which has started raising its ugly face, the face with which most of us remain stick to, concept of 'Citizens' is being replaced by 'Netizens'. In today's fast and busy life it has become very difficult for a common man to maintain social relationships or social networks. Looking at the gravity of subject, by way of introducing social networking sites Internet has taken over the responsibility of maintaining social network of people. Today we have number of social networking sites which help people maintain social relationships in virtual form. We have already experienced the offerings of web 2.0 technologies in the form of Blogs, Wikis, RSS feeds, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Orkut, Youtube, Groups etc. and have put us at the threshold of web 3.0 technology which we commonly know as 3G technology. Addiction to internet has grown among people to the level of its irrevocability, and the reasons thereof are justified because most of the work which people previously used to do by running from place to place can be executed at one place by logging to internet while seating on a cozy chair. All this has created a dependency syndrome among people; people enjoy offerings of internet without looking into ill effects which in the long run may affect the social, physical and mental state of people. In a routine day's work, during the most part of working hours people in offices remain more occupied to internet, especially to social networking sites etc rather focusing on their work, which I believe have become a good source to distract a person from work. Children are always vulnerable and more susceptible to the ill effects of internet. The younger generation, especially teens have developed more addiction to internet; they remain most part of their day's time absorbed to cyberspace. Round the clock internet with broadband connectivity has added more thrill to their internet addiction. High speed internet gaming and many more interactive services have already driven children crazy to the level of bunking classes and spending time in internet cafes. It has been observed that children having internet facility with broadband connectivity at home and school spend nearly 8 to 10 hours surfing net. Children have got so much obsessed to internet that they no longer prefer to play outdoor games or participate in team activities. Consistent use internet and no outdoor activities in the form of sports and games will definitely help children grow old ahead of time. It has already started taking toll on the health of children in the form of falling eye sight at an early age with feeble bodies, having backs turned bent ahead of time with lack of vigor and vitality at the prime of youth are some of the offerings of internet. Interactive computer programmes actually give such a rush to the minds of youngsters that they tend to prove themselves smarter and better to computers that too with the liberty to get entertained by sitting at ease without putting in any hard effort. Teenagers are always being seen as soft target to be lured or to get attracted towards something which fascinates them and to hack their minds at a very tender age with the tools like internet is not a that big deal. Increasing use of Internet by children for pornographic purposes is something with which everybody is well aware. Cyber crime and cyber security have already become issues which have posed great challenge before law enforcing and security agencies. Cyber crime in the form of Piracy, Money Laundering, Online Banking Frauds, Internet Lottery, Credit Card Frauds, Hacking of Computers, vital information, larceny of vital information from computer are some common technological misuses etc. Technological addiction among children is somewhere seen as the outcome of irresponsible parenting too. Most of the time parents remain confined to their offices or other business establishments as such are not in position to spend much time with their children, and to keep children busy with activities which will enhance their knowledge skill in more interactive manner is internet, perhaps the cheap and best way to kill two birds with one stone. Internet addiction among the South Korean children is being seen as worst when compared to rest of the world. In South Korea, nearly 90% households are having high speed internet facility with broadband connectivity. In South Korea on average a child spends nearly 14 hours a day surfing internet. The consistent use of internet becomes a good cause of dehydration among children and unawareness among children towards need and importance of remaining hydrated takes toll on them. This is where parents have to remain very much conscious about the health of their children especially of those who are technology freaks and due to consistent use of internet and other similar technological offerings South Korea has already recorded nearly 22 deaths on this account so far. This addiction is running so high among the Korean children that since 2007 Internet Rescue Schools have started coming up in South Korea. It won't be inappropriate to say these schools act more or less like asylums to help rehabilitate internet addicted children.
Situation in countries like Indian may not be that alarming, but that doesn't mean children in India and rest of the world are not susceptible to such internet addiction, and the day may not be far when we can see Internet Rescue Schools coming up in India or other parts of the world. It's high time for one and all to understand pros and cons of technology, if on one had it has helped us to conquer all odds of life on the other hand it has created some new ones. Parents have to be more careful while handling with such delicate issues especially the one's who have already provided broadband facility to their children, need is to strike balance between the two to the extent of its fair use and by not doing so this technological blessing can turn into a great curse. Need is, people have to reconnect with each other face to face rather connecting on social networking sites and the fact remains, life is to be lived and games are to be played beyond computers. |
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