April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Internet seduces some students
But Dr. Keith Anderson of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy thinks that may be a mistake. He will present the results of his survey on internet use -- and abuse -- at an April 12 lecture titled, "Interpersonal Relations and the Internet."
As a staff psychologist at RPI's Counseling Center, Dr. Anderson has had many students come to him because they were struggling with the effects of over-using the internet.
"Most of the time, we see it when they're about to flunk out," the lecturer said. After meeting several students whose grades and social lives suffered because of their web-surfing, Dr. Anderson asked himself whether anything could be done to stop the problem.
Survey says
He surveyed 1,300 students at eight colleges in the U.S. and Ireland, including students from Siena College in Loudonville, RPI, The University at Albany and SUNY-Buffalo. The survey asked how much time students spent on the internet and how it affected their lives.Of those that use the internet (for non-academic purposes), the survey found that 10 percent use it so much that it causes problems in their lives. Students may miss meals, skip classes and lose social relationships. Additionally, said Dr. Anderson, internet use can become like any other addiction: Users may not be able to stop even if they want to.
Most of the students who admitted overusing the internet majored in the hard sciences, and 90 percent were male. While the average student spends about 100 minutes per day on the internet, the abusers spent about four-and-a-half hours per day.
'Seductive' web
Dr. Anderson said that while there have always been students who turned to television or other outlets as a substitute for social interaction, the internet is "more seductive. You never really know who you're contacting. It's safer socially; there's not as much to lose."However, he added, "research has shown that people who spend a lot of time on the internet use it to replace face-to-face relationships, rather than augment them."
He argued that unlimited access to the internet "is making it easier for them to continue that, rather than putting their foot in the water" and trying to meet people.
Solutions
Dr. Anderson believes that colleges should develop systems to keep track of students' internet use. One approach would be a debit system, giving students a certain amount of internet time per month. If the student used it up, he or she would have to apply for more, and those who repeatedly applied for more could be noted as at risk."Some people say it's better to let them flunk out and learn from the experience," Dr. Anderson commented. "We have to make a decision: Do you provide unlimited access even though it hurts somebody?"
The psychologist does believe that access to the internet is critical for students, since so much valuable information is provided. But he noted that "there are things we could do to be a little more observant" of whether students are at risk of harming themselves.
Along with Dr. Anderson, Dr. Joseph Walther will explain alternative research on why people use the internet as a communication style and how internet interactions can actually be as intimate as face-to-face communication.
(Drs. Anderson and Walther's lecture, "Interpersonal Relations and the Internet," will be held on April 12 at 7 p.m. at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, Albany. Admission is free. For information, call 489-4431.)
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