Isolation and addiction to the Internet.

Have a little read: ... Christina West 615-885-4841 Dr. Annette McCreedy Essay #4 12/03/03 Technology plays a drastic role in the lives of all people no matter what race, sex, or ethnic background. People today rely on computers to do almost everything, even to flush the toilet. It seems like there is always a way to make something easier by making a computer to do the job a human would normally do. With such a reliance on these machines, no wonder people have become entranced in the world of computers. The Internet is a huge advancement in this world. A single person can be connected to the world by just sitting at their computer desk with an Internet connection. Although computer technology and the Internet have advanced our economy, there are many underlying negative effects such as: isolation, irresponsibility, and unhealthiness do to excessive Internet use. Isolation can be caused by an addiction to the Internet. It occurs when a person has become so involved in the usage of the Internet that they stop going out with friends and family. Isolated people spend less time with family and more time on the computer. David N. Greenfield, psychologist and author of Virtual Addiction, states in his book, "Any revolution in the way we communicate is likely to have social and psychological implications. The fact that the Internet can be so addictive creates an even more powerful impact on both a personal and social level. Any technology that can isolate its user, such as the Internet, must have significant implications for our society"(12). The internet affects our lives socially and psychologically too. Today it is even possible to work from home using the Internet, thus isolating people even more from each other. Not only can the internet be used for communication, it is also very interactive which catches the user's attention. People can involve themselves in games, shopping, chat rooms, and many other forms of entertainment. When it comes to isolation, the isolated one tends to stay hooked to the Internet than seek out real people and entertainment. Since there is so much to do, many hours can be spent on the Internet and the user may not even notice how much time has went by. This can leave the user with many responsibilities left undone. When a person stays connected to the virtual world too long, they tend to let other real things in life slip away, meaning they become