Internet for life

In today’s fast and growing technological world, the internet has not only taken its role as one of the largest source of information, it has also been replacing most of our daily lives which is generally known as the internet life. Many of us would probably prefer to live in the cyberspace due to various reasons, mainly the fact that we can lead many different lives in contrast to real life. The fact that you can be anyone you want to be in many ways gives great impressions to many of us to actually choose to have an internet life. The usual places where we can find internet lives are of course forums, gaming communities, messengers etc.

The article of ‘Online addiction’ by Wong Li Za published in August 20^th the Star Online has highlighted the effect of online games to computer users (Wong, 2007). Especially in the gaming communities, where most gamers who would spend a good 70% of the time in a day in the cyberspace socializing with different people from several parts of the world. And not only that 70% is not enough, some of these gamers would even resort to taking substances to keep themselves awake 24 hours in order be in the cyberspace. Yes, it is not wrong at all given the fact that through web space, we get the opportunity which many people from the past don’t, and that is to be able to communicate with not only one person in one country, but more or less the world. However, any form of addiction is never good and this addiction to internet life has become something that can endanger one’s life. ‘Online addicts and computer game addicts suffer from many of the same symptoms as alcohol and drug abusers: denial, secrecy, acting out, compulsion, lack of focus, and withdrawal from family and friends’ (Parrott, 2000).

Source: http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/64f9721b-d5d3-41fb-9fbc-a2a278e94dd3.html

So what is this thing that keeps these people to have such an addiction to it? The key here is the rewards they get when being in the cyberspace world. For example; let’s take a regular Joe who is working a regular job in real life, you have to work for 8 hours a day, 6 days a week in order to get a measly payroll every month which is not even enough to cover your expenses with the added stress from family and friends. Given in the cyberspace, you don’t have any worries, if you failed, you restart or sign up a new identification and start all over again and it is as simple as that. That is probably one of the key factors why people are addicted to internet life.

Although internet life may be dangerous, there are however still benefits which we can achieve by having an internet life. The solution to this is one must always bear in mind to separate reality and fantasy. The internet life may be a good training ground for people who have problems in socializing or people who would want to improve their socializing skills. Besides that, the internet life also benefits us in terms of knowing more first hand information from different people in different parts of the world. Internet life has both pros and cons and the way to work around it is to be moderate. Have an internet life, but don’t let it take over reality. Another article entitled ‘Taking control’ by Nasa Maria Entaban from the Star online will be a good reference for gaming addicts who likes to practice healthy gaming habit (Entaban, 2007).

Reference:

Entaban, NM 2007, ‘Taking control’, the Star: youth2, viewed on 12 June 2008, <http://thestar.com.my/youth2/story.asp?file=/2007/9/26/youth2/18978912&sec=youth2>

Parrott, L 2000, ‘Acknowledgements’, Helping your struggling teenager: A parenting handbook on thirty-six common problems, Zondevan, viewed on 12 June 2008, <http://books.google.com.my/books?id=Bs1_tUtyiRkC&dq=online+addict&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0>

Singer, A 2006, ‘Bill won every game but was still a loser’, politicalcartoons.com, viewed on 12 June 2008, <http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/64f9721b-d5d3-41fb-9fbc-a2a278e94dd3.html>

Wong, LZ 2008, ‘Online addiction’, the Star online: TechCentral, viewed on 12 June 2008, <http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2007/8/20/technology/20070820113810&sec=technology>