EmilyAdkins

ProfessorScaife
Rhet131111:00am
04/20/16
TheSocialImpactoftheInternet
Whenyouthinkbacktoyourchildhood,whatcomestomind?Maybethingssuch
asridingabike,makingmudpies,andvisitingneighborhoodfriends.Allofwhich
provideduswithafoundationofpersonalandsocialdevelopment,however,modern
daychildrenaregrowingupquitedifferently.Inmoderntimesweseetoddlersbeing
absorbedintheiripadsandchildrenwiththeirowncellulardevices.Childrenare
growingupinthisnewagebeingdistractedbythefascinatingmediasoftheinternet
leadingsomeexpertstosayitisdirectlyaffectingthevalueofchildhoodand
adolescence.
Duringthistimeandagethereisthreeissuesthatsparksadiscussionpertaining
toouryouth.Itisbelievedthatextensiveinternetusageisdirectlyrestricting
adolescentsfromforminganidentity.Itsalsoaninfluenceonthelackofselfreflection
amongtheyouthandunfortunatelyitscreatingamissingdesiretoestablishauthentic
facetofacerelationships.
Theinternetwasintroducedtoourworldnearly3decadesagoandmodern
knowledgeisimprovingthewayweusetheinternetdaily.Jobsarebecomingmore
dependentoninternetusage,aswellassimplemoderndaycitizens,youngandold.
However,newstudiesarebeingintroducedthattheprogressionoftechnology,suchas

socialmedia,isaffectingthesocialandpersonaldevelopmentinthenewage.
AccordingtoTheAtlantic,largeinternetcompaniesexploitourpsychologicaldynamics
togainprofits.Thistriggerstheideaofaddictionascompaniescreateanobsessionand
exploititforthebenefitsofthebusiness.Particularly,theadolescentsofthemodernday
arebeingaffectedbythenewagetechnology.Youngadolescentsarebeingrestricted
fromexploringtheirpersonalidentityandcreatingasteadyfoundationtotheirbeing
simplybecausetheentertainmentindustriesarefeedingoffpleasureofrewardin
gaming,theinterestincelebrities,andtheneglectionofresponsibilities.Psychologist
anddigitalcommunicationexpertSherryTurkleexplainsinherTEDTalk,

Thesedays,thosephonesinourpocketsarechangingourmindsandhearts
becausetheyofferusthreegratifyingfantasies.One,thatwecanputourattention
whereverwewantittobetwo,thatwewillalwaysbeheardandthree,thatwewill
neverhavetobealoneConnectionismorelikeasymptomthanacure.It
expresses,butitdoesn'tchangethewaypeoplethinkofthemselves.It'sshapinga
newwayofbeing(Turkle).

Moreoverintherealmofneuroscience,studieshaveshowedthatcompletingoreven
expectingataskcanexciteneuronsoftheventraltegmentalareaofthebrain,releasing
dopamine,thehappyneurotransmitter.Thus,itismakingtheexperiencepleasurable
andaddictive.Thisdirectlyimpactsthenatureofsocialdevelopmentamong
adolescentsinanegativeway.Teensandyoungadultsaresoinvolvedinsocialmedia
andtextingthattheydrowninthelivesoftheiridolsandpeers.Theaverageadolescent

oftenspendhoursjustscrollingthroughthelivesofothers,oftenforgettingtobuildtheir
ownpersonalidentity.
Furthermore,notonlydoesinternetaddictionaffectthedevelopmentofpersonal
identity,italsocontributestothelackofselfreflection.Selfreflectionisnecessarytoget
toknowoneself,actions,andmotives,muchlikemeditationortobeindeepthought.
Internetaddictionscreatesastigmathatyouneverhavetobealone,onecanalways
pickupthephoneordeviceandhavetheworldattheirfingertips.Socialmediaamong
teensispreciselydoingawaywithsolitudeandtheprogressofdevelopinganidentity.
Celebritiesspecificallyareusingsocialmediatodrawinmorefans.Weconceptualizea
celebrityasanorganicandeverchangingperformativepracticeratherthanasetof
intrinsicpersonalcharacteristicsorexternallabels.Thispracticeinvolvesongoing
maintenanceofafanbase,performedintimacy,authenticityandaccess,and
constructionofaconsumablepersonaCelebritiespostprettypicturesandflaunttheir
extravagantlifestylescaptivatingfanswithinterest,whileyouthareonlywishingtobe
themortolivetheirlifestyleratherthantheirown.
Additionally,internetaddictionconstitutesamissingdesiretoestablishauthentic,
facetofacerelationships.Theinternethasbecomeanoutletformakingnewfriends,
meetingpeopleonline,andmaybeeventhebeginningofaromanticrelationship.Which
forsome,thisisbecomingpreferabletothenewgenerationssimplybecauseitseasier,
particularlyforashyindividual.AmandaLenhart,suggestinherstudywithteensthat
communicationonlineisntthemostfrequentwayofmeetingromanticpartners,but
suggeststhatitisusedextensivelytoflirt,woo,andshowinterest.Further,ifonehasa

hardtimespeakingupandexpresstheiropinions/feelingsinperson,theinternet
providesasafetynet.Itsmucheasytospeakifyoudonthavethepressureofadirect
rebuttal.Somemaysaythisisideal,buttowhatextentaretheserealrelationships?
Whenmeetingpeopleonlineitseasytomaskwhatyouaresaying,onehastimetobe
smartaboutthewordstheychoose,onecanevenmakethemselvesbeperceivedas
somethingtheyarenot.Incontrast,tobeinginpersonexperiencinghandsonwhat
excitesthemorangersthem,facetofacerelationshipsallowforabondwithaperson
theonecouldnotsimplyreachthroughatextorawebcam.
Inconclusion,internetaddictionisshapinganewwayoflifeinmoderntime.We
encouragetheuseoftechnology,butithascometoabsorbourlife.Moderndayculture
isobsessedwithfindinganescapefromreality,anescapethatprovideseasyaccessto
entersomeoneelse'slifeandforgetaboutyoursforawhile.Wehavetheworldatour
fingertipsbuthowmuchisacceptabletoliveahealthydevelopedlifestyle?

WorksCited
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Marwick,A.,andD.Boyd."ToSeeandBeSeen:CelebrityPracticeonTwitter."
Convergence:TheInternationalJournalofResearchintoNewMedia
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Lenhart,Amanda,MonicaAnderson,andAaronSmith."Teens,Technologyand
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