The Internet: SOCIALIZATION vs ISOLATION The Yin and Yang of BEING ONLINE

Who does it affect? How are they effected? 1. Socially 2. Emotionally 3. Physically 4. Financially 5. Legally

 Spouse  Partner  Children  Grandchildren  Friends  Neighbors  Any one in the World  Hackers with time on their hands  Law Enforcement

 The Boss  Security  Coworker  Law Enforcement  Government  Media  Venders  Identify Thieves

 Interferes with Family Values  Lost Intimacy in relationships  Lost income when ‘stuck in front of computer’, or busy checking smart phone for Facebook/ Twitter/ Snapchat et al updates  Legal problems such as TEXTING while driving

 Company Policy?????  Budget lost hours  Productivity  Theft (time) “on company time, checking personal s / Facebook etc  Stigma when labeled by co-workers for your internet time

SOCIAL CONNECTION!!!!!  SOCIAL CONNECTION!!!!!  Shopping  Car Buying  Grocery Shopping  Research instead of Library  Self Diagnosis of Medical Issues  Real Estate  Gambling  Gaming  Internet Porn

An employee at a government contracting company, with a wage of $70, lost his job when it was found that he was using the company internet for - Porn, shopping, and running a personal online business from the office.

1. The user doesn’t believe individual consequences relate to him/her. 2. The rationalization that no harm will come from these activities. 3. The user operates in a surrealistic state of mind of non-accountability

Symptoms  Increasing preoccupation with, and investment of resources (e.g., time, money, energy) on Internet-related activities  Unpleasant feelings (e.g., depression, anxiety, loneliness, emptiness) when not online  Negative impact on work/school performance  Problems develop in existing relationships  Difficulty in forming new offline relationships  Denial of Internet Impact on Self

Socialization... or Isolation?

Technology can facilitate meeting others and communicating with them  / Instant Messaging (IM)  Cell Phone / Texting / Twitter / Blog  Social Networking (e.g., Facebook)  Playing Online Games / Fantasy Football etc  Can help introverted people develop connections  A person can learn to appreciate another without the distraction of appearance and looks  You can practice social interchange without fear of significant reprisal or rejection  Can raise an individual’s self-esteem

 / Instant Messaging (IM)  Cell Phone / Texting / Twitter / Blog  Social Networking (e.g., Facebook)  Playing Online Games / Fantasy Football etc  Can help introverted people develop connections  A person can learn to appreciate another without the distraction of appearance and looks  You can practice social interchange without fear of significant reprisal or rejection  Can raise an individual’s self-esteem

The New Yorker -- July 5, 1993

Online Interactions allow:  Just words on a screen without ‘seeing the feelings, or the facial expressions’  As pointed out in last slide - On the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog!  For those whose primary (or sole) mode of interaction is online, there is potential for loss of face-to-face relationship skills  For those who begin before learning face-to-face interaction skills, there is potential for lack of development of these skills  Can foster dependence  Data - Why bother remembering or learning things, when you can GOOGLE and have immediate knowledge? THINKING SKILLS SUFFER. Note the GPS which takes you the way IT wants to go.  Who needs people ? Many inhibited people are closer to ‘Siri’ than anyone real. Siri doesn’t yell at you, ridicule you, say nasty things to you. And LOVES you anytime of the day and night.

 Establish a Personal Relationship with some LIVE people  Consciously Break the Pattern, i.e., at least once a week or twice, when you get home do not turn on computer. Limit your interaction to checking s on your Smart Phone only.  Keep computer OUT OF THE BEDROOM, and put phone in another room at night UNLESS expecting some Urgent Call due to health, or family traveling.  Consciously Find Other Ways to Occupy Time, such as a walk, going to a movie, playing a game  Develop “Real Life” Relationships such as talking to neighbors, talking to the PERSON you are having dinner with and not being on the phone!!