Internet Addiction Effects On Education
Copyright (c) 2012 Morgan D
Internet usage is dominantly increasing as the citizens of earth aspire for a global village that offers among many things virtual proximity. In the near future it is more likely that the internet will be the most acceptable and trendy way for human beings to interact. Addiction to the internet does not result from increased use of the internet to access basic necessities but rather problematic Internet use in relation to specific online activities, such as gambling, email or pornography (Peter and Shayna 1). Some health experts warn that internet addiction is slowly emerging as a psychiatric disorder owing to the diverse effects it has on an individual's social economic life, and the education process.
Academic attention has been given to internet addiction as a result this has affected class attendance, academic performance and student's sociability therefore impeding educational success. Compulsive use of the internet by students is counterproductive to their academic pursuit. An addict is more likely to be found using an interactive internet application for chatting, gaming or shopping rather than spend time researching academic material to complete his/her dissertation. Secondly, they are susceptible to a variety of disorders such as: mood disorders, bipolar disorders, and social anxiety disorder, that are highly represented among groups of excessive Internet users (Shapira et al. 86) and also known to be markers of deteriorating academic performance.
The right academic atmosphere and sound frame of mind are vital for a student aspiring to achieve educational success. Internet addiction like all other established addictions result to negative behavioral change that is counterproductive to achieving educational success. The changes in behavior are substantial and diverse. They range from loss of sleep which causes fatigue in the afflicted individual, decreased social communication, problems in maintaining interpersonal relationships and low self esteem (Lin and Tsai 2002). A learner exhibiting these effects as a result of excessive use of the internet will have little or no time to concentrate on his studies and this is bound to affect academic performance.
The internet is both a blessing and a curse to education. It is a pertinent source of information which facilitates academic research and a threat to student's academic performance. Students unlike any other group of internet users have access to fast free and reliable internet pitting them at the highest risk of developing problematic internet use. Every educational institution should regulate how the internet is used and if this is not possible they should prepare to deal with the problem of internet addiction through appropriate therapeutic strategies given that it is a non-chemical form of addiction that cannot be controlled with medication. The internet is an important tool for human interaction. It is predictable that like other communication platforms humans will respond differently to internet use.
The response will be good for some and not so good for others. As a side effect compulsive use of the internet in some users will arise and result to disorders inherent in other established form of addictions. Students are more likely to be exposed owing to easy and unlimited access to the internet. Once addicted academic attention of the student will give way to the social disorders already acquired and limit educational success.
Work cited Shapira, N. A., Goldsmith, T. D., Keck, P. E., Jr., Khosla, U. M., & McElroy, S. L. (2000). Psychiatric features of individuals with problematic internet use. Journal of Affective Disorders, 57(1-3), 267-272.
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