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

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

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

"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.)

(04-08-99) [[In-content Ad]]