Tag Archives: internet addiction

Digital Heroin for Children

Research claims that children spend upto 5 hours a day glued to their smart phones, people’s attention spans are shrinking as a consequence of over exposure to technology and those aged under 18-years-of-age should use technology for no more than 2 hours a day. This is all worrying stuff, however if one digs beneath what some might consider as the hysterical headline, “Digital Heroin for Children”, it becomes obvious that not all researchers agree with this gloomy picture. Others argue that gaming can enhance intellectual capacities. A number of contributors also make the point that it is a matter of parental control, for example employing a “no mobile phones at the table” rule and limiting the amount of time children can go online.
As a child I spent much of my time reading and could, at times be anti-social preferring the company of a novel to that of my fellow human beings. I also well recollect, when growing up the concerns about the over exposure of youngsters to television. It was an oft repeated mantra that those who watched “the box” excessively would get “square eyes”. Are we seeing the same panic over the internet as we saw over television?
My own view is that the internet can be addictive. It is easy to go online with the intention of checking if Jo Bloggs has replied to that email only to become distracted by a blog post from one of your favourite bloggers. Being blind I am not a typical internet user as a fair portion of my time online can be traced back to the fact that I am visually impaired. I cant read print and therefore get much of my news via the world wide web. Had I the ability to read print I would buy a daily newspaper (perhaps several) and, as a consequence spend less time surfing the web. When I am online for protracted periods I feel tired and gain a huge sense of wellbeing by switching off the computer and doing something completely different such as reading a braille book or going out into good old fresh air!
So are we going to hell in a hand cart or are we seeing a mad panic over nothing? We cant uninvent the internet (and I wouldn’t wish us to do so), but we can (and in my view should) use it and other forms of technology responsibly (this is particularly the case with children where parents have big responsibilities).
For the article please visit, https://www.google.co.uk/search?site=&source=hp&q=digital+heroin+for+children+daily+mail&oq=digital+heroin+for+children+daily+mail&gs_l=hp.3…8107.23246.0.23739.39.36.0.3.3.0.688.4563.18j15j5-2.35.0….0…1c.1.64.hp..1.15.1897.0..0j35i39k1j0i67k1j0i131k1j0i131i67k1.NNPO7t1T7qU

Forever in search of the new

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Yesterday (5 March) I popped into my local independent book shop in search of a present for Easter not entailing Cadburys cream eggs! Having purchased a book on the Dinosaurs in Crystal Palace park I fell into conversation with the book shop’s owner. I asked whether the growth in ebooks was impacting on his business. Somewhat to my surprise he replied that he haden’t noticed a fall off in business, he had, however seen a rise in the sale of graphical (picture books). I speculated that the growth in sales of this particular type of literature perhaps stemmed from the low attention span which can flow from excessive use of the internet and he agreed.

The above conversation reminded me of an earlier post on this blog (http://newauthoronline.com/2013/02/02/going-to-hell-in-a-hand-cart/) in which I pointed to the growth in website hopping, the practice entailing the surfer inanely clicking on links with no particular purpose in mind. I argued that this constant search for new and exciting content fosters a spirit of instant gratification and a shallow view of the world. In contrast reading entails concentration and yes, on occasions cudgelling one’s brains in order to comprehend what the author is driving at. In contrast to the inanity which can flow from web surfing reading fosters a deep appreciation for the world in which we live.

To return to my visit to the book shop, perhaps this obsession with the internet is leading to a breakdown in concentration whereby people find it difficult to read anything other than short novels or works containing lots of illustrations. I certainly hope that this is not the case.

Returning to the subject of ebooks, my latest book, Samantha is currently free in the Kindle store (the offer ends on 7 March). For Samantha please visit http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI

Going to hell in a hand cart

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On occasions I feel that I’m caught up in a technological maelstrom from which it is impossible to escape. On the positive side of the coin Twitter and Facebook offer the opportunity to promote my writing, however social media and technology more generally can suck us into a world in which deep thought is replaced by constant (and often unthinking) clicking on links which happen to take our fancy at a particular moment in time. Who among us has not gone online meaning to quickly check their emails only to find themselves an hour or so later browsing the internet?

One of my happiest recollections as a child revolves around sitting in the school library reading. Sometimes I’d randomly take down a book from the shelves and find myself captivated by Andrew Lang’s rendering of the Greek myths. On other occasions I would pick up the Oxford Book of English Verse and read old favourites such as Wordsworth’s Solitary Reaper. I could sit there for hours or at least until one of the staff chased me out into the great outdoors to play! In my school days I lacked the distraction of the internet and of mobile technology. Not so today. In 2013 I, like so many others face the temptation of constantly checking my mobile to see who that text who’s beeping disturbed my concentration came from and, of course to reply to the sender. If it isn’t texts or browsing the internet then I’m tempted to check to see if my friend has responded to my email asking whether he is free for a drink on Friday.

A year or so ago I took the decision to go without using the internet for 5 days. To clarify I still had to use the internet in connection with my full time job, however I didn’t go online for personal browsing during those 5 days either on my computer or my mobile. During that time I read a lot and also enjoyed walking in the local park. It was a good experiment and I’d recommend it to my readers. See how much more you read and do other things when access to the internet is prohibited (by yourself) for a week or so.

People have been saying for centuries that the world is going to hell in a hand cart so isn’t my concern about modern society’s obsession with technology merely a manifestation of this old and frequently overblown fear? Of course technology offers many positive benefits. As a blind person I embrace the freedom which the text to speech facility on my Kindle gives me to enjoy ebooks. Again blogging is a wonderful way of connecting with like minded people and of sharing ideas. Technology is neither good nor bad it is how we employ it which is the issue. Is the internet going to remain our servant or will it become our master? I don’t know the answer to that question but what I do know is that we need quiet time for reflection and reading. If we lose that then we will all become poorer.

(Note: while writing this I heard a text being delivered. I am in the spare room and my mobile is sitting on the bedside cabinet. I made a decision not to check my mobile and as of now the text remains unread).