By ISABELLE FLOYD AP Technology Writer
Shocking new reports reveal that a growing number of parents around the world discourage their teenagers from using household computers to virtually interact with their peers. As the age of the Internet progresses, the phenomenon known as the “alternate” or “virtual” reality of computers continues to seize many young adults. However, older generations do not fully understand the benefits and values that can be obtained through excessive Internet use and are claiming today’s teens are becoming lazy and antisocial. In fact, time spent on computers actually helps all teen users lead more productive lives that ultimately make for a more successful adulthood. While keeping children safe in the privacy of their homes, the computer acts as a shield from the violence and sickness of the outside world. With the progress of the computer-age, soon all actual communication will be replaced by virtual communication, which will not only allow children to socialize more frequently, but also keep them protected.
Many of today’s excessive-Internet-usage protesters argue that computers are “cutting teens off from the real world” and “causing them to lose social skills they once had.” However, studies from the Stanford Research Institute show that shelter from the outside world may actually be for the best. Tests have shown that with increasing Internet use comes a drop in the number of rapes and other crimes. Many parents are coming to realize public dangers and are beginning to encourage the use of the Internet and online games so to keep their children safe. Mother Ellen Wilson, 42, of Woodacre, California states, “If the Internet can keep my son home for extended periods of time, I will always know that he is out of harm’s way.” In short: teens cannot possibly be influenced by the astronomically large number of drug dealers and rapists that are on the streets today if they are at home on their computers.
It has also come to the attention of most parents that computer use may lower the risk of health problems in today’s children. Doctor Emily Slotter of Danville, Indiana claims, “Children who do not leave their bedrooms are actually at a lower risk for developing skin cancer and other diseases caused by sun exposure.” The national child death rate due to ailments caused by exposure to large crowds of people has also decreased remarkably in recent years due to the tremendous amount of time they spend on their computers. As Doctor Slotter exclaims, “Children who are not exposed to such diseases as chickenpox or whooping cough cannot possibly develop them.” Some schools have gone so far as to propose computerized learning centers that combine the idea of everyday computer usage with schooling. This way, students would not have to so much as leave their bedrooms in order to attend school each day. Without daily exposure between children, epidemics would no longer be an international risk.
Critics of excessive Internet use are also using the increasing obesity rate in the United States as a reason to condemn the Internet and computer usage as a whole. However, doctors have found absolutely no correlation between the obesity rate and computer usage. Doctor Patrick Lovett of Murray, Utah explains that the “Incredible amount of exercise gained from typing and mouse-clicking adds up to the daily physical activity recommended by all doctors.” Many Internet addicts argue that leaving their houses to do things that could have much more easily been done online can cause frustration and take valuable “Facebook time” out of their day. Recent advances in technology also have made simple daily errands such as going to banks, post offices, and grocery stores easier. This development has helped to alleviate traffic problems, which has led to a direct reduction in air pollution, and a great improvement on the global climate-change issue. With improvements like this, it is only a matter of time before the overuse of computers helps solve all global issues including the violence and drug usage that corrupts our children.
Excessive computer usage has also proven itself to be an effective tool in building strong relationships between people all over the world. Studies from the Pew Research Center in Washington DC show that Internet dating and friendship-building services bring about millions of close friendships and intimate relationships everyday. Without these interactive online devices, there would undoubtedly be less social interaction between the younger generations. Zachary Buck 15, of Santa Cruz, California and user of the popular site eHarmony.com®, exclaims, “When you meet the love of your life over the computer, it can be one of the most magical experiences. The tone of their voice is conveyed so well over text.” Another user, Camille Brown, 63, of Mayville, North Dakota agrees: “You know you have a keeper if your man or woman uses the same abbreviations and acronyms as you use in their text. There is no real way to judge this important aspect of a person’s personality when meeting them face-to-face.” Recent data collected by the U.S. Bureau of the Census shows the surprisingly high percentage of successful online marriages in the United States. Spouses, many of whom have never met in person, claim they like the physical distance they have from their significant others. Online wedding ceremonies have proven to be far less expensive and easier for friends and family to “tune-in” to as they please. Other studies show a drop in STDs and unwanted pregnancies due to online dating.
Parents today voice their concerns with what they consider to be “online video game addiction.” However, many of these misinformed mothers and fathers do not know the benefits online gaming provides to teens. The Nintendo™ Research and Development Team reports that computer games such as World of Warcraft™ and The Sims™ provide grounds for millions of friendships to grow everyday. Users claim that these games “connect teens with popular interests.” When children find it hard to make friends in their schools, online games provide a stress-free way to make friends without having to struggle with the horrors of physical interaction. As Jacob Smith, 57, of Huntington, West Virginia explains, “The most healthy friendships are built over the Internet. You are forced to judge your friends for their virtual essence rather than for their physical appearance.” When all of a child’s socializing is done through a computer, they are not tempted to spend time outdoors, making irresponsible choices and exposing themselves to illnesses that can mentally and physically harm them for the rest of their lives.
Over the years, teenagers have slowly become dependent on “virtual reality”, and their parents have been led to believe common misconceptions that slander it. The Internet opens our crime-infested world to the possibilities of becoming a greater human through the process of building one’s computerized identity. Many suicidal teens, unhappy with their lives, have turned to Internet games to provide them with a life they can actually enjoy. Psychologist Paula Levenson of Bridgeport, Nebraska argues, “Why should a teen waste his or her time trying to improve a hopeless life in the real world when they can create the life they’ve always wished for on the computer?” People unwilling to conform to the Internet lifestyle come up with no valid arguments to counteract this claim. With all the recent links computers have with solutions to global issues, there is no reason not to let our children spend hours – days even– discovering themselves over the Internet.
Shocking new reports reveal that a growing number of parents around the world discourage their teenagers from using household computers to virtually interact with their peers. As the age of the Internet progresses, the phenomenon known as the “alternate” or “virtual” reality of computers continues to seize many young adults. However, older generations do not fully understand the benefits and values that can be obtained through excessive Internet use and are claiming today’s teens are becoming lazy and antisocial. In fact, time spent on computers actually helps all teen users lead more productive lives that ultimately make for a more successful adulthood. While keeping children safe in the privacy of their homes, the computer acts as a shield from the violence and sickness of the outside world. With the progress of the computer-age, soon all actual communication will be replaced by virtual communication, which will not only allow children to socialize more frequently, but also keep them protected.
Many of today’s excessive-Internet-usage protesters argue that computers are “cutting teens off from the real world” and “causing them to lose social skills they once had.” However, studies from the Stanford Research Institute show that shelter from the outside world may actually be for the best. Tests have shown that with increasing Internet use comes a drop in the number of rapes and other crimes. Many parents are coming to realize public dangers and are beginning to encourage the use of the Internet and online games so to keep their children safe. Mother Ellen Wilson, 42, of Woodacre, California states, “If the Internet can keep my son home for extended periods of time, I will always know that he is out of harm’s way.” In short: teens cannot possibly be influenced by the astronomically large number of drug dealers and rapists that are on the streets today if they are at home on their computers.
It has also come to the attention of most parents that computer use may lower the risk of health problems in today’s children. Doctor Emily Slotter of Danville, Indiana claims, “Children who do not leave their bedrooms are actually at a lower risk for developing skin cancer and other diseases caused by sun exposure.” The national child death rate due to ailments caused by exposure to large crowds of people has also decreased remarkably in recent years due to the tremendous amount of time they spend on their computers. As Doctor Slotter exclaims, “Children who are not exposed to such diseases as chickenpox or whooping cough cannot possibly develop them.” Some schools have gone so far as to propose computerized learning centers that combine the idea of everyday computer usage with schooling. This way, students would not have to so much as leave their bedrooms in order to attend school each day. Without daily exposure between children, epidemics would no longer be an international risk.
Critics of excessive Internet use are also using the increasing obesity rate in the United States as a reason to condemn the Internet and computer usage as a whole. However, doctors have found absolutely no correlation between the obesity rate and computer usage. Doctor Patrick Lovett of Murray, Utah explains that the “Incredible amount of exercise gained from typing and mouse-clicking adds up to the daily physical activity recommended by all doctors.” Many Internet addicts argue that leaving their houses to do things that could have much more easily been done online can cause frustration and take valuable “Facebook time” out of their day. Recent advances in technology also have made simple daily errands such as going to banks, post offices, and grocery stores easier. This development has helped to alleviate traffic problems, which has led to a direct reduction in air pollution, and a great improvement on the global climate-change issue. With improvements like this, it is only a matter of time before the overuse of computers helps solve all global issues including the violence and drug usage that corrupts our children.
Excessive computer usage has also proven itself to be an effective tool in building strong relationships between people all over the world. Studies from the Pew Research Center in Washington DC show that Internet dating and friendship-building services bring about millions of close friendships and intimate relationships everyday. Without these interactive online devices, there would undoubtedly be less social interaction between the younger generations. Zachary Buck 15, of Santa Cruz, California and user of the popular site eHarmony.com®, exclaims, “When you meet the love of your life over the computer, it can be one of the most magical experiences. The tone of their voice is conveyed so well over text.” Another user, Camille Brown, 63, of Mayville, North Dakota agrees: “You know you have a keeper if your man or woman uses the same abbreviations and acronyms as you use in their text. There is no real way to judge this important aspect of a person’s personality when meeting them face-to-face.” Recent data collected by the U.S. Bureau of the Census shows the surprisingly high percentage of successful online marriages in the United States. Spouses, many of whom have never met in person, claim they like the physical distance they have from their significant others. Online wedding ceremonies have proven to be far less expensive and easier for friends and family to “tune-in” to as they please. Other studies show a drop in STDs and unwanted pregnancies due to online dating.
Parents today voice their concerns with what they consider to be “online video game addiction.” However, many of these misinformed mothers and fathers do not know the benefits online gaming provides to teens. The Nintendo™ Research and Development Team reports that computer games such as World of Warcraft™ and The Sims™ provide grounds for millions of friendships to grow everyday. Users claim that these games “connect teens with popular interests.” When children find it hard to make friends in their schools, online games provide a stress-free way to make friends without having to struggle with the horrors of physical interaction. As Jacob Smith, 57, of Huntington, West Virginia explains, “The most healthy friendships are built over the Internet. You are forced to judge your friends for their virtual essence rather than for their physical appearance.” When all of a child’s socializing is done through a computer, they are not tempted to spend time outdoors, making irresponsible choices and exposing themselves to illnesses that can mentally and physically harm them for the rest of their lives.
Over the years, teenagers have slowly become dependent on “virtual reality”, and their parents have been led to believe common misconceptions that slander it. The Internet opens our crime-infested world to the possibilities of becoming a greater human through the process of building one’s computerized identity. Many suicidal teens, unhappy with their lives, have turned to Internet games to provide them with a life they can actually enjoy. Psychologist Paula Levenson of Bridgeport, Nebraska argues, “Why should a teen waste his or her time trying to improve a hopeless life in the real world when they can create the life they’ve always wished for on the computer?” People unwilling to conform to the Internet lifestyle come up with no valid arguments to counteract this claim. With all the recent links computers have with solutions to global issues, there is no reason not to let our children spend hours – days even– discovering themselves over the Internet.
About the Author: Isabelle Floyd was born in Santa Rosa, California, in the midst of the 1990s. She grew up alongside the Pacific coast in beautiful Marin County with her sister Abigail, mother Ellen, and father Harlan. Her elementary school years were filled with joy and laughter. She spent much of her time vacationing and celebrating various events with her extended family. With her high school years, she developed an interest in piano and science. Growing up in a very musical family, Isabelle had a keen interest in music through her entire life. It wasn’t, however, until high school that she discovered her love for the piano. She also grew a strong passion for the fields of science and medicine. Now at UC Davis, Isabelle is studying neurobiology, physiology, and behavior, and plans to attend medical school some time after her undergraduate years.
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