TaliaGravesGraves1

Comp1
ProfessorScaife
4/25/16
Internet&theTracksItLeaves
WhenIwasyounger,thehighlightofmydaywascominghomeandmeetingmyfriends
atourspecificspotatourspecifictime.Wewouldallrideourbikestothelocalneighborhood
park,backpacksfilledwithtoysandsnacks.Duringourtimetherewefoundanythingwecould
useasaproptoassistourinventions,andthusletourimaginationsblossomfree.Itwasourritual
tomeetthere,everydayafterschool.Theconnectiontomyclosestfriendsthatthetimespent
theregavemeissomethingthatdefinesmychildhood,somethingthatalwayscomesbackwhenI
reminisceonmyperceivedgooddays.TenyearslaterIcomehometomylittlesisters
submergedintoaTVshow,orspeakingtoavirtualcomputergamecalledMinecraft.Ican'thelp
butthinktomyself,isthisthenewchildhoodforouryoungergenerations?
Aftercatchingonwithmyyoungersisters,Istartedseeingiteverywhere.Tenyearolds
ignoringtheirparentsbecausethey'retoopreoccupiedwiththeirphones.Parentsgivingchildren
cellphoneswhenthey'refussingtoquietthemdown.Ilookaroundtheroominaweandquestion
ifIamtheonlyoneshockedatwhatIsee.Manyresearchhasbeendoneoverthetopic,and
childhoodinternetusehasbeenanongoingissueastheyearsrollby.Thereareobvious
implicationsofthepositiveimpactstechnologyanditsadvanceshaveprovided,andsocietyis
movingfastbecauseofit.Sofastinfact,childrenarebeginningtoactlikeadults.Havingtwitter
accountsattheageof10,sixyearoldspostingselfiesonsnapchatIquestionwhatIwoulddo

ifIwasinthereshoes.Withalloftheseamazinginventionsthatcanonlylooktentimesbetteras
achild.However,Icanthelpbutfeelnostalgictowardsit.Willtheinternetbethenewculture
ofouryoungergenerations?
Thegrowingconcernoverthisquestionhasledmanypeopletotakeanactonit.JaneE.
Brodywroteanarticlerecentlyoverthetopicofchildrenandscreenaddiction,inwhichshe
writesacomparisonofWebJunkie(adocumentaryoverinternetaddictioninChina)and
internetaddictioninAmerica.AstrongdifferencethatBrodybringsintoquestionisthewaythe
Chinesedealtwithchildrensscreenaddiction,whichwasputtingtheminarehaboriented
facilityforthesaidaddiction.China,unliketheUS,considersinternetaddictionasaclinical
disorderthustakingimmediateactionontheproblem.Brodystatesthatthedocumentary
highlightsthetragiceffectsonteenagerswhobecomehookedonvideogames.Shethenbegins
tostatethatarepercussionofthisaddictionisthatmanyteensviewtherealworldasfake.
Brodynotonlyshinesalightontheeffectsofinternetaddiction,butalsostatesthatthis
epidemicstartsearly.

Itstartsearly,oftenwithpreverbaltoddlershandedtheirparentscell
phonesandtabletstoentertainthemselveswhentheyshouldbeobservingtheworldaroundthem
andinteractingwiththeircaregivers.Brodysstanceonthetopicputsalotintoperspective.Do
weasAmericansusetheinternetandtechnologyasanexcuse?Wetendtothinkaphonecall
takesplaceforafacetofacevisit,atextmessageisournewandimprovedconversation,and
twitterisournewsocialenvironment.Itallsoundslikeanexcusetomissoutofpersonalcontact
andconnection.
Beingincollegeandbeingeighthoursawayfrommyfamily,myappreciationforfaceto
facepresencehasgrownimmensely.ThephonecallsandFaceTimesareneverenough,never

longenough,andmylittlesistersneverseeminterestedenough.But,howcanItakeitpersonalif
mysistersaretoopreoccupiedwiththeirtabletstotalktome?Irememberbeinginhighschool,
whenIfeltannoyedwiththemorwantedtimetomyselfIwouldtellthemtowatchtv,orplayon
thecomputer.They'rejustdoingwhatItoldthem,aren'tthey?GoingbacktoBrodysarticle
whereshestatesthatitstartsearly,howdoweexpectourchildrenandyoungergenerationsto
growifwearehandingthemeverythingwetellthemnottouse?
Researchoverchildhoodaddictionisallovertheweb,childrenlosethemselvesinthe
games,theydon'tseerealityanymore,etc.Butwhereistheresearchoverparentsandtheir
influenceonachild'sscreentime?Onapersonalnote,mystepdad,thefatherofmytwoyounger
sisters,constantlyplaysvideogamesandisonthecomputer.Hestaysupuntilfourinthe
morningoftentimes,andIcanevenrememberwakingupforschoolandhimstillbeingup
playingthesamegamehewaswhenIwenttobedat10.It'sonlyobviousthatmysisterswould
fallintothesamepath,becausechildrenfollowinfluence.Mymomusedtoalwaystellmethat,
yoursistersaregoingtofollowyounomatterwhatyoudo.Theywanttobejustlikeyou.It
wasalwaysthemostannoyingthing,havingtowatcheverystepImade,scaredthatifIdo
somethingwrongthey'llfollowthosefootstepsunknowingly.Becauseinfluencingkidsisso
easy,thatevenwhenyouhandthemthattabletorcellphonewhentheyfuss,everytimetheyfuss
they'llwantitagain,andagain.Itstartsearly,isallItendtorefertowhenthissubjectcomes
upbecauseourchildrenandyoungergenerationsarenotattotalfaultonthisone.
Itisshownthatchildrenspendatleast75%oftheirdaysdoingsomethingonascreen
accordingtoElliotChang,aresearcherforscreenaddiction.Whenpeoplehearinternet
addiction,mostseepasttheaddictionpart.OftentimesInternetandscreenaddictionisn'ttaken

seriously,andspeakingformyselfIdidn'tnecessarilytakeitseriouseither,untilIfoundthis:
ResearchfromtheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation(APA)showsthatparentsarethemain
onestonottakeactionontheirchildren'sscreentime,andtheyoftenthinkmildlyaboutscreen
addictionintheirchildren.Psychologistsallaroundtheworldlabeladdictionassomethingthat
affectsyourdaytodaylife.ResearcherElliotBoguszrecentlywroteanarticleoverchildhood
screenuse,andputalotofinterestingstuffinhiswritings.Bogusztookasurveyfromthe
alcoholawarenessprogramandinsteadofusingtheworddrugshereplacedthemwithscreen
time.Thequestionsinthesurveywillsurelymakeanyscreenuserquestionthemselvesontheir
useandtimespentdoingso.Butitalsoshowsagreatcomparisonoftheaddictions,showing
mostpeoplethatinternetaddictionisreal,andverymuchlikemanyothers.Technologies
advancementanddevelopmentshavetakenoursocietybystorm,andarecentarticlebyForbes
magazineshowsthepositiveeffectsscreentimecanhaveonchildren.Thearticlestatesmany
greatpointsoverthebrightersideofscreenuse,likethefactthatchildrencanactuallylearnfrom
videogamesandTVshows.Infact,astudyinthe1980sshowedthatkidslearnedalotfrom
SesameStreetwhentheyhadtheirparentswatchingwiththem.Actually,childrentendtolearn
muchmorefromtelevisionshowsandvideogameswhentheyhavetheirparentswatchingwith
them,aphenomenonrecentlycalledcoviewing.CenteronMediaandChildHealthrecently
statedthatcoviewingreducesfearandaggression,whileincreasinglearninganddiscussion.
However,themainpartforthisaretheparents.Thepositivesidesofthisepidemicareequitable,
butwithouttherightinfluencescreenusecandefinitelybecomeabused,andunfortunatelycan
turnintoanegativeoutcome.

Thetollthatscreentimehasonpeople,especiallychildren,canbelifeconsuming.
Revolvingalifearoundascreenisnothowanyoneshouldlive,andaseachgenerationsgrow
andcomeforth,itseemsthattheproblemgetsbiggerandbiggereverytime.However,thisisn't
anunfixableproblem.Gettingyourchildbackintorealityorkeepingthemthereispossiblewith
therightamountoftimeandunderstanding.Itcan'tallbeonthekids,becauseitstartsearlyand
fromthereoncaneitherfallintoatimeconsumingaddiction,oraprivilege.

WorkCited

Baer,Susan,ElliotBogusz,andDavidA.Green."StuckonScreens:Patternsof

ComputerandGamingStationUseinYouthSeeninaPsychiatricClinic."
Journalofthe
CanadianAcademyofChildandAdolescentPsychiatry
.CanadianAcademyofChildand
AdolescentPsychiatry,n.d.Web.25Apr.2016.

N.p.,n.d.Web.25Apr.2016.

"ScreenAddictionIsTakingaTollonChildren."
Well
.N.p.,n.d.Web.25Apr.2016.
"AmericansSpendHOWManyHoursaDayWatching'Screens'?TheConsequences...
andHelp."
AmericansSpendHOWManyHoursaDayWatching'Screens'?TheConsequences
...andHelp
.N.p.,04Mar.2010.Web.25Apr.2016.

Shapiro,Jordan.
Forbes
.ForbesMagazine,17July2013.Web.02May2016.