Internet+Addiction+or+just+a+sign+of+the+times

OMG whats an internet lolz o.0 By Charlie Tiraboschi  n7586132 **Artifact** This artifact depicts a man sitting at a computer while a women, presumably his wife, looks sad and down in the background. The caption "He said my story was cool, then he called me bro" is a running joke on the internet that may only be understood by internet users that visit the entertaining sites that these memes are created on. The theme of the picture is relationship neglect and how internet overuse can leave social relationships in ruins. At the end of this essay I'll explain the joke so don't you worry. **Public health Issue** The artifact represents how internet addiction can impact on relationships while also using an internet meme to make fun of the fact. Internet overuse, depression and social neglect are all major concerns in todays rapidly advancing society were entertainment is more readily available online then it is in the real world. Infomation and communication technology are a major part of mankind's existence and the Internets scope of possibility is increasing every year. Public health strategy needs to be implemented to battle the unseen and unheard of side effects around computers and the internet on generation Y. __“ [|You do anything long enough to escape the habit of living] __ __ [|until the escape becomes the habit.] ”__ **Literature review** Information and communication technology is not an addiction that will rot your liver, teeth or lungs, it is an addiction that effects a persons lifestyle and the damage it can do is to an individuals life experiences. Relationships can be effected by neglecting others to spend more time online (as in the artifact). Sleep disorders can arise from staying up all night playing games and even an individuals work or school can be harmed by utilizing the internet for your own means when in fact the individual should be studying in class online or working on there job. There is no clear and present danger when it comes to internet addiction as it will be different with every individual and should be treated as such when looking to combat this growing issue. Research into this particular issue shows that internet addiction has an effect on the individuals health through lifestyle changes such as loss of sleep and that the greater the addiction the poorer the health of the individual (Choi, k 2009). Lack of sleep may not seem much because a common situation may be "I'm still getting up at the same time and its not like I'm missing school because i'm staying up late" but in fact that individual who stay up till the morning is going to be tiered all day and thus the lack of sleep if affecting that persons ability to learn of work effectively.(Choi, k 2009) So far we have been talking about internet addiction as a clear and solid term but research into "Internet addiction" by Steven, E 1999 has shown that internet addiction has more to do with the individual then the actual internet itself. If the internet was "addictive" then a person who impulse buys things online and classified as "addicted to the internet" is just as likely to be addicted to computer games and online chat and watching pornography as they are all apart of the internet. Steven, E found that the internet just reflects any underlying conditions that a person already has rather then create an addiction. A social awkward teenager that spends his time online would still find isolation and solitude elsewhere be it that the internet was not available. "//A users activity are indicative of any disorders or problems that they might already have." Steven E// When talking about computer games the term addicted comes up allot and the line between addiction and choice has been researched and has shown that users that engage in massive multiplayer online role playing games have a tendency to find the social aspects of the in-game world more pleasant and satisfying then what occurs in real world. They are found to not be addicted to the game but rather just have a different perspective on social interaction and just chose to spend there time online (Brian, D 2005). This model of addiction being an indicator of a prior problem and only being highlighted by the internet is a key point to get across when trying to battle these health issues. Research also shows how family factors can play a large part in a users internet usage. Family's with internet available had increase arguments and adolescent-parent disputes then family's that didn't have internet (Ju-Yu 2007). Further research needs to be done based on the user having the underlying problem rather then the internet being the cause. **Cultural and Social Analysis** Social media, communications and digital technologies have all skyrocketed the young lifetimes of generation y. There are more high tech gadgets then our grandparents and even our parents ever imagined and our kids will point and laugh at us when we are older at how primitive our current technology is compared to that of 30 years from now.  Our life as we see and perceive it is a shaped by our past, cultural upbringing, local events, global events and our lifestyle to form a mindset which the world is viewed through and decisions made. The Baby Boomers were influenced by the arrival of the TV, Rock and Roll bands, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the even the threat of nuclear war. They didn't have the internet, Facebook or Google growing up and how they viewed and interacted with the world was different because of it. Generation Y is living through the age of the internet where information and communication technology are the driving force with cable television, globalization and events like September 11, the Iraq war, revolution in Libya and Syria and global awareness about environmentalism all merging together to form our current place in history and the world. People are united in the shared experience of this time but also diversified by them as each individual is developing their own outlook and interpretation of the world and what they want to achieve.  The information and communication technology impact on this generation can not be over exaggerated easily. The scope of whats possible around the internet is yet to be explored and it is in constant change. There is always something new to look at whether it be today's news, blogs, sports, games, funny videos, sad videos, videos on anything at all, memes or porn there is a constant stream of new content being added to the crazy online world. It is vast and limitless and as a result internet addiction can not be compared to a substance addiction as the escape which both addicts are looking for are vastly different. An alcoholic drinks to let go of the problems of the real world but an online internet addict or video game addict find peace in a world which he can control. Addiction, depression and bullying can be found in every society and culture on earth to date, is it any wonder that it has found a way into the online community as well? Addicts will be addicts, depressed people will be depressed and bullies, as we all know, will be bullies regardless of the time and place. The internet becomes a retreat for these sort of people because it is all anonymous if the individual wants it to be.  Education about the internet and the possible health impact is has on individuals is key to its eradication as an issue. Lack of sleep, depression, posture, addiction and online bullying can all be battled through education of the user on how simple and real these problems are. The internet can be a tool for use or a world to engage in. **Analysis of the** **Artifact** "Cool story bro" is a term that could be swap with "I don't give a sh*t" about is often used in jest on the internet when one person tried to explain something to another. Some community, espeshily the gaming ones, are very unforgiving and harsh when it comes to social interaction. The picture dipicts a man bringing that online response to the real world showing how absurbed in the internet he is. The wife might have asked...  "You have been on the computer for hours your never do anything else"   to which he replyed   "Cool story bro"   The caption of the artifact makes fun of non internet savvy people interpreting the saying into a compliment, outlining the differences between the two groups and how there can be a social and cultural divide between the internet and real life. Its all about educating yourself about how the internet works as a tool and as a social setting. I have learnt allot about the specific impacts that internet addiction can have on individual but it does not surprise me as i have grown up ad been apart of the front line internet user community where new memes and online social interaction take place and i can see the effects it has on people first hand. I am very exited to see in which directing our technological advancements are going to take us on a social and technical level as there is so much untapped potential. **References** Choi, K., Son, H., Park, M., Han, J., Kim, K., Lee, B. and Gwak, H. (2009), Internet overuse and excessive daytime sleepiness in adolescents. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 63: 455–462. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2009.01925.x

Brian D. Ng and Peter Wiemer-Hastings and. CyberPsychology & Behavior. April 2005, 8(2): 110-113. doi:10.1089/cpb.2005.8.110. Steven, E. Stern CyberPsychology & Behavior.(1991) Addiction to technology: 419-424.

Ju-Yu Yen, Cheng-Fang Yen, Cheng-Chung Chen, Sue-Huei Chen, Chih-Hung Ko (2007), family Factors of internet addiction, CyberPsychology & Behavior. June 2007: 323-329. **Comments on other work** Response to Is generation Y ‘real’ or a creation of the media? Has the media created the ideal body image and what impact is it having on generation Y’s health? [|ctiraboschi] 3 minutes ago Well written and make some great points. I have a mate who is really into body building and allot of the themes from your essay rain true in our household as well. We are so caught up in the media these days its good to see people taking a step back and thinking about all this stuff for themselves. **Response to** The Hidden Secret In Mental Health and Committing Suicide

This topic can be hard to write about for some and it not talked about as much as it should because it a surprisingly common thing. Great song and points raised in your social analysis. Did you know that after the Brisbane floods there was a wave of suicides from farmers that lost everything. So sad and i didn't even know till another paramedic told me. Great work and now go buy an ice cream to lighten up :D