Internet

Question 1

”Yes” side, Chandra Johnson

• study about self-esteem (1 pt)
• how kids/teens use the internet (5 pts)
• what parents can do (1 pt)

Answer 1

• 2010 study from York: people with lower self-esteem spent more time online and posted more self-promotional content to social media
• kids/teens’ need for validation is huge!
• conflation of online and in-person identity: teens see it as the same thing; they may act differently online because of the anonymity/digital faceless-ness, but any criticism or validation received online feels as real as in-person feedback
• kids/teens spend a lot of time crafting their online identity!
• Digiphrenia: creating, maintaining, and being selves on multiple different platforms
• app-dependent behaviour: people depending on tech for social connection, or eg. coming up for ideas for writing papers
• need for parental role-modelling

Question 2

“No” Side: ie. the side that isn’t completely for unrestricted internet use, but isn’t taking a conservative approach either…by Laura Sherman

Answer 2

• Very little research has actually been done!
• Internet use can’t be generalized. Social media? Video games? Overall screen time? How is thee individual using it?
• We worry that Snapchat is being used to send nudes, but oftentimes it’s just being used to send silly faces!
• What is digital media replacing?&raquo_space; Outdoor time, face-to-face interaction, exercise, community/group activities
• study where tweens quit screen time at camp found that their ability to make judgements about others’ emotions significantly improved
• It likely is affecting brains: if we do anything long enough, our brain is affected, even if it can’t be detected by fMRI. But are these changes bad or dangerous? That is to be seen. However, people always find stuff to worry about (Socrates and Plato worrying about people writing things down!)