The Collegian

Issue date: 9/12/06 Section: News

Hatched from the union of innovative minds and technological advances, Internet communication has become one of the most prominent novelties of the age. With the ease and simplicity of Internet based communication, individuals can broaden their horizon of friendship. Networking programs such as Facebook and MySpace render the task of making friends much easier than it has been in the past. "_____ wants to be your friend." Sure, why not? With one simple click, a new friend is made. A monkey could make a friend like this.

Distance and varied lifestyles are no longer factors that hinder the process of making a new friend. The fear is taken out of an encounter with someone new because a friend request denial is less harsh then a direct "no" to your face.

Blogs, message boards, online diaries, communities, etc. are effective ways of personal mass communication. Though it sounds paradoxical, it actually makes sense. Sites such as LiveJournal, Xanga, and Blogger simplify the task keeping others up to date on the events in your life, from the insignificant haircut to the most outrageous auto vehicle behavior from a Camry. Molly Muldoon '10 said that she and her friends mostly used Facebook and e-mail to keep in touch over the summer because they knew that the other would check online regularly. Sounds great and that's just the passive form of online communication.

Messenger programs such as AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and ICQ provide a slightly more direct encounter with other people. It allows for multiple personal conversations all at once, a rather difficult feat to accomplish, let alone attempt, in person. Again, it sounds like a paradox, but there is still truth within the madness.

So, with the ease of communication and the ability to make a ridiculous amount of "friends" on Facebook, what could possibly be bad about this technological craze?

Studies have shown that people are spending more time online than ever before. A recent survey found that people spend, on average, about 14 hours a week online, about equal to the amount of time they spend watching television. But among "intensive users," the number was closer to 30 hours per week. Last year, China opened a clinic for people age 14-24 that have experienced such disorders as depression and insomnia due to long hours of gaming or instant messaging. This leads some in the medical community to believe that such excessive use of the Internet can lead to an actual addiction, comparable to pathological gambling. With the risk of physical side effects, especially potential addiction, is the Internet something to be regarded as just another innovation?

Chair of the Sociology Department Robert Bulman notes that the criticism against new technology dates back to the 19th century. "When the telephone was invented, lots of people were upset that it would destroy face-to-face communication and letter writing," said Bulman. Such criticism is now questionable. As a society, "we will adjust to the Internet just fine." Bulman argues that the concern over the Internet is nothing to be surprised about. "Each generation faces a world different than that of their parents," said Bulman. This scares the older generation "for understandable reasons." To this generation, the Internet is a legitimate technology that fosters communicative flexibility and information freedom.

Psychology professor Mary True believes that the Internet yields a mixed bag. While the Internet contains a wealth of information, she explains that students need to be careful about information gathered from it. For instance, a biology student may not be able to tell whether certain information gathered is "junk science" or the real deal. "From a scholar's point of view, it's hard to distinguish between truth and fabrication," said True. Her point is important, as sites like Wikipedia have come under fire for its anyone-can-edit mantras.

As a consequence of information freedom, the amount of information available on the Internet presents temptation. True explains that mammals have a "seeking motive"-that is, a need to hunt for prey and experience the thrill of the hunt itself. She compares the use of the Internet to this hunt, except that humans don't know when to stop because with so much information available. It is difficult to control oneself. The Internet "plays on a mammal's propensity to seek," said True. However, with no end point to the seeking motive, humans exhibit addictive behavior.

Is life still possible without the Internet? True thinks so. She recalls how her family likes to visit upstate New York, where the area has "very little technology." She found that while up there her family felt "closer together," and they played games and other activities that would seem trivial in a technology-pervasive world. It is in moments without the Internet that people realize how much "they have become dependent on it," said True. Once one overcomes the mindset that the Internet is a necessity, it becomes easier to regain the pre-Internet era mentality.

Such "interaction" among people grows less personal. Human communication has reached a point where people don't need to focus on those around them, simply those they can reach through the computer. Sure, one gets a jumpstart on making friends before college or high school even starts, but it lacks the uniqueness that comes with the progression of a friendship. As a byproduct of impersonal interaction, a new definition of friendship is formed. A couple dozen pokes, random comments, and picture compliments now earn the title of "friendship."

Then again, it does feel good to be one with 500 plus friends on MySpace and the one with 60-some comments on Xanga, but how many of those people does one actually want to talk to in real life? Unless the Internet is one's reality, then we apologize.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools