The Nations Drug (Part 2)

This is part 2 of my 2 part post on the effects of televison and computers.(PLEASE READ THE 1ST POST. It will explain alot.) This one focuses on the addiction we all have for the comp. So, in the last post it was said that tv actually lowers your bodies awareness and puts it in a more lethargic state. Now, this is very contrary to what a computer seems to do. A computer seems to do the exact opposite. It appears that(mostly in children) a person is overstimulated by a computer. This is due completely to the fact that computers have interaction. In some studies children feel worn out, some times dizzy or even sick after play games and/or just prolong use of the computer. I'm sure we can all remember what happened in Japan about 5 years back with the children siezures when viewing a perticular video game. But, it has several simularities to the effects of the tv. It can give a person an addiction. Unlike tv however, this seems to be more pyshcological than physical. People seem to lead a different life on the comp. It usually easily beats real life in the aspect of drama. This addiction can be much greater than that of the televisioin. Over use for non-educational ways can make a person reject their actual life and try to spend as much time in their comp. world. Obviously, this leaves them less socially inclined and become nervous and increasingly uncomfortable when in public situations. This also, (like tv) seems to make a person more irratable durring unstructured time and impatient, further shunning the real world. When a person stops the effects of withdrawl are extremely simular to the withdrawl effects of tv amd drugs.

-The articles I have posted only really discuss the harmful effects of tv and comps. Both can be very beneficial to a person. IF used in moderation. If a person watches less than 3 hours of tv a day it will actually improve the mood of a person. Let's not disregard the tv as a thing for mindless slobs either. The television is an excelent learning tool. Since it shuts down the rest of the body and kicks the brain in the @$$ people seem to learn 3 times a much from a tv. That's the only problem...their bodies shut down. They become fat, lazy, bums.

-Computers are an even better source of information. Not only can you learn up to 3 times as better but you can choose what you learn. This is very good because people tend to find what they want and get off. This is great because they get the good qualities while not staying on long enough to become hooked. So, both are extremely simular in the fact that when used in moderation and ONLY in moderation, tv and the computer can inrich and become an effective way to improve ones life.

here part 1 http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=220383

-Krakpype

I reduced the amount of TV I watched by a large margin (from 4 hours or more a day down to half an hour to an hour a day) but the computer ended up picking up most of the slack. I just don't have much of anything else to do with my time. I've generally reduced my computer usage to more reading/surfing, and less games, but I'm realy gonna have to find sometihng else to do with my time.

Yeah, I was the same way. Comp. picked up extra time. Now, I play guitar. I'm more now social too. Just find another hobby. That's how I fixed my addiction problem.

I spend most of my time, well maybe all of my time that I'm home on the computer but I wouldn't say I'm addicted to it because I'm always out with my friends.

Ok, I confess!! I'm an addict! Before I got this damn computer I used to have many hobbies. I used to like to draw, paint, hunt for artifacts, go metal detecting....many things. Hell, I'm even a first degree black belt in tae kwon do.....was also an assistant instructor. Lol, but I haven't been to the gym in over a year :( Lately though, I have been trying to ween myself off the computer. Now that I've found AO....I don't know if I'll be able to do it...lol.

:killcompu

It's not an addiction for me. It's a life pursuit.

I used to watch tv all the time.
Then I went through the video game,{ps,n64} phase.
After that I got on the computer to play games{better graphics/DiabloI/II}
The game phase for me lasted about 2 years.
Then I wanted to do more on the computer, so I started to study about hacking
Then I lost my account on Diablo after not playing for a couple of months so I completely dropped gameing.
And since then I have been ALWAYS reading on the internet book after book, page after page, for the last year or two.

I personally never watched much tv but when i did its usually been the discovery channel
not that im a nerd i find it very interesting.
since sienfeld was taken off the air i cant seem to get into a sitcom or anything else
all the new stuff are just rip-offs of the old.
being that im in school i spent 10 or more hours a day feeding my brain
I must say its an addiction, because im so gratafied after words and need more
good post

well being a poor student ;) no tv in room so the only time I really watch it is the odd nights when we sit in and watch a film or something in someones room - but my usual day is like...
wake up between 8 & 10 - go down library till 5
eat dinner back down to library for 6 stay till 8/9
go home get changer head out to pub/club
bed at about 2/3
so thats like 10 or so hrs a day in front of a computer >_<;
man I spend way too much time at AO ;)

v_Ln

I can honestly say that during high school I was majorly anti-social because the computer ran my life. Schedule was as follows:

Wake Up, Go on computer...
Goto School, Get out of class and use library computer
Go Home, Use computer until my eyes couldn't stay open
Go To Sleep
Repeat.....

People on the computer were so much better than the people in high school. I almost lived by the hackers's manifesto, well at least the part about no skin color or prejudice online. What little social skills I had were picked up in online chat rooms. But then I got out of high school, and working with computers became a job, and now I go home after work and try not to even look at a computer. Picked up some social skills at work, and am no longer anti-social. Wow... life is strange. :)