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Zach Kachmer
8th Grade, Good Shepherd Catholic School
In our new world full of technology and new advancements in all areas of electronic communication, we are so close to getting swept away in all the excitement. The media is so powerful in this society because it knows exactly how to get our attention. We want quick news and we want to know exactly what is now. One of the post popular and mostly used sources to get this information is the internet. The internet is a great tool, because it opens up millions of possibilities. Anyone can use it, and everyone can share their opinion on certain topics. But then we have to ask “Is this a good thing? Are the people out there reliable sources for information, and is depending on others for information healthy for your independence?” Many think it is fine, and feel that using other people’s opinions is okay, but research shows that forming your own ideas is good for your development and will train you to take care of yourself.
The term internet dependence refers to the excessive use of the internet to the detriment f one’s physical, psychological, social, or vocational well-being. I think this is a very good definition, and really expresses the dangers of over-using the internet. The majority of Americans and virtually all college students use the internet for information or entertainment at least occasionally. However, for some, involvement on the internet can start to have serious, negative consequences. For example, people may start to obsess over the internet, and start to ignore their family and friends. They can be uncomfortable when they aren’t on the internet and can develop problems paying attention to things outside of the internet.
Out of all teens surfing the internet, about 77 million, 86%, say that they talk with friends online, 85% spend time playing games, 78% just generally surf, 69% use the internet for homework, 48% use it for reading and learning, and 48% use it to find current events. In some ways, the internet can be a great research tool for school work or news, as long as you find reliable sources. So what do we do in this world where a very powerful tool that can be useful is misused to the point where we can become dependent on it? The key is to think critically about the websites, and make sure that your sources are reliable and contain information that you trust is correct and up-to-date.
Another strategy for avoiding dependence upon the internet is to always try to find other opinions than those that you find online, because those can be, and usually are, biased in some way. These second opinions can be formed in your own mind, or can be formed from things that you know from other non-medial sources. These can include friends, family, professionals that you know, or others. We have to keep our minds open to the fact that we do not need the internet the way we think we do. Many of us believe that, without the internet, we would not be able to function in our daily lives, but in a study done by Villanova University, their research shows that only 6% of the American population truly depends on the internet.
In conclusion, yes, the internet has made business and school work and communications much easier over the past decade, and advancements are still being made to make it faster and more effective, but the point that I’m trying to make is that we don’t need to get sucked in. Once again, it is a great tool, but it can affect our lives in ways that we don’t even know, and I feel that, if 20 years ago, they could survive without the internet, I think we can now. I’m not saying never go on the internet again, but we need to form our own opinions in this changing society, and spending too much time in the internet is not the way to do this.