Monday, July 13, 2009

The Big Question - Teens and the Internet

Begining research for our "big question"

For today's class you should have narrowed the "big question" -- Is the Internet a positive or negative influence on Teens, down to a smaller question of interest such as:

Are internet predators really a serious threat to most teens?
Is online learning better than classroom learning?
Does online communication hinder face to face communication skills?
How does internet addiction contribute to teen obesity?


Homework:
  1. For your question, you should have found two sources which help you to answer your question.
  2. Write (or type out) one train of thought for each source (for a total of two). Do not post your train of thought online.
  3. Write a summary for each source (total of 2).
  4. Write a bibliography entry for each of your sources (total of 2).
  5. Post your summaries and bibliographies  below.

31 comments:

  1. The article "Obesity Epidemic" is mainly about how today's youth is becoming more and more obese. It states the many causes and effects that obesity is having one these teen, such as the numerous health effects that can emerge. This terrible epidemic is being blamed on many things; schools, parents, technology, and most importantly, the internet. The article says that teens are becoming more and more glued to their computer monitors instead of going out and doing physical activity and this is what is causing teenage obesity.

    -Kendall

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  2. The other article that I found came from a website called Center for Internet Addiction Recovery. This website helps people get through internet addictions. The specific article that I found was about what internet addiction is. It can be anywhere from addiction with social networking sites, to more sick things like addiction to cyber-sexual addiction. All of these addictions usually led to the person just sitting around on their computer all day. Since these people are addicted and don't do much more than that, they don't get the necessary amount of daily exercise that they need. Therefore, the addiction is leading to obesity.

    -Kendall

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  3. The first site that I found was, "Cyber-Predators" by Brian Hansen. In his article there was a woman's personal experience that supported my hypothesis. My hypothesis is something like: Teenagers often feel stressed, lonely, depressed or misundestood causing them to go to the internet for comfort. On the internet there are predators who comfort and form "relationships" with the teenagers. So anyways,the woman (named Katie) said that she was a lonely 13-yr-old girl when she decided to join an online chat-room. There she met a man named "Mark" who claimed to be 23. They formed a "relationship" and soon Katie didn't feel lonely anymore. Unfortunately, Mark was actually a 41-yr-old online predator and was later arrested. Katie's experience supports my hypothesis because it shows how susceptible teens can be when they are moody...

    -janelle :D

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  4. Well, my hypothesis may change because I am beginning to find less and less info on my topic. strange. My second source was called, "Understand 'Grooming,' and Keep Your Teen Safe Online." This site defined the word grooming saying that it is, "the way an online predator will use chat/ email to prey upon emotionally vulnerable teens. The young people tend to be confused, emotional, naive or attention craving." This shows that it really is the teenagers' emotions (lonely/misunderstood/etc) that allow them to be easily targeted.

    -janelle

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  5. The first article I viewed was called "The Hidden Costs of Online Shopping" by Donna L. Montaldo. It explained the pros and cons of online shopping, however it did not talk much about its effects on teens. This article was very helpful because it opened up tons of new ideas. I never really thought about the business aspects of online shopping. There are many more positves and negatives than I had suspected. The article explains the pros of the online shopping experience. Previously, the thought of online shopping being an experience never occured to me. All in all, the website was very beneficial to my own personal research.

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  6. The second article I reviewed was titled "
    Teenagers' Perceptions of Online Privacy and Coping Behaviors: A Risk-Benefit Appraisal Approach." It was written by Seounmi Youn. The article explains how increased teen internet usage has made the teen age group major targets for marketing companies. These marketing companies lure teens by spending billions of dollars in advertisements on all sorts of websites. Some examples are online stores, social networking sites, etc. I asked myself why teens are spending so much time on the internet to begin with. The article gives a very correct point. The generation that is using the internet increasingly, is the generation that is surrounded by the internet in their daily lives. We have grown up with technology in our average lives. This also was a very helpful article.

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  7. The first article I reviewed was titled, "Obsessive Internet use poses risk of isolation, depression, researchers say." This article discusses about how the exessive internet use causes mental problems such as isolation and depression. As a person spends more and more time on the internet , he or she may or be at the verge of shutting down face to face social interaction with others thus closing his or her social circles and causing the increase feelings of isolation and depression. My feedback is that I can somewhat figure out and relate to what is happening behind this situation. As a person has less and less social interaction, fear of rejection and other issues as such may surface and causing the person to be afraid of socialization with people. This can severely affect a person's mental health which helped answered my question.

    Esther

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  8. The second article I reviewed was titled, "Isolation increases with Internet use," by Scott Sleek. This article also focuses on the mental problems such as depression and isolation caused by internet use. In the article, a study consisting of 169 individual from 93 households cwas conducted by Psychologists which reported that a direct correlation between the participant' level of happiness and social activity was found. The increase usage of internet caused a decrease in the amount of social support and activity, in addition to feeling more depressed and lonely. This information has given me some factual evidence on the study of mental problems' relationship with internet use.

    Esther

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  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  10. "Report: Teen Commits Suicide on Justin.tv," by Greg Sandoval is about a 19-year-old Florida teen who committed suicide on his web-cam. This teen seemed to be suffering from depression, as he had expressed suicidal tendencies before to his viewing audience. Perhaps hearing him say that he was going to kill himself was standard for his viewers. On this occasion, some viewers egged him on, and insulted him until he began to swallow way too many pills. This article shows how anonymity can make people do some things that they would never do in person.

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  11. "Cyberbullying," by Thomas J. Billitteri is a really good article that gives many examples of bullying over the internet. This bullying is enabled through anonymity, as people can say and do things without fear of retribution or consequence. This happens often, especially on websites like youtube, where anyone can comment on other peoples' videos. Some of the comments are extremely mean, and can be very hurtful to the person who worked so hard to create that video. All over the internet, anonymous posters are able to do whatever they want; some do good things while others do bad.

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  12. The first article I used is titled “Is the Internet Affecting the Social Skills of Our Children?” This article explains that the Internet could lead to increased misery, stress, loneliness, and less family time. Reports have been found that there is more negative influence of the internet on social functioning in teenagers. Teenagers are more addicted to the internet because of what the internet can do for them. This article states more negatives than positives but in the conclusion it concludes “But overall, technology can be considered a positive enhancement on growth” (Afonso 1).

    Afonso, Bob. "Effect of the Internet On Social Skills." 1 Dec. 1999. 13 July 2009.
    *it didn't let me post the HTML (url)

    :]kirstie

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  13. The first article that I read was entitled "Cyber Socializing". I found this article on the CQ Researcher Online. I felt this was a very good article because it asked the question is sites like Myspace or Facebook are potentially dangerous. I decided that my topic question would be Does social networking affect the life of a teenager in a negative way? This article gave me both the pros and cons about social networking and chatting on the Internet. There was a pro and con argument asking of Congress should require public libraries and schools to block public networking sites. Both sides gave really good evidence and supported their ideas about the topic. The article wasn't biased or selective in anyway which made the information easier to get. There were also stories from real teenagers who have been affected by the Internet in a negative way. Another great thing about the article was that it raised the questions if cyber space is better than real space. There were also studies done on parents and what they think of their children and Myspace. It was a very imformative article that gave me a lot of information.

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  14. In my first article "The pros and cons of playing video games" by Athman Adiseshan, it supports my hypothesis of games leading to addiction. Examples supporting include a 4-month child of a southern korean couple to die since they were playing World of Warcraft for five hours. Next a chinese man died after playing for 3 days straight.

    Next the pros I used "Video Games" by Sarah Glazer which related online video gaming to literacy. They played a game called civilization where it helped with team work and vocabulary coming across big words. They would also need to learn how to use their resources. This some what supports my hypothesis that internet video games helps and enhances literacy in some little way.

    -Logan

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  15. The second article I used is titled “Family time eroding as Internet use soars.” This article explains how families spend less time communicating with each other and more time on the internet. A family is the foundation of an individual and I believe family members should spend time communicating with each other to express their feelings about work, school, social activities, etc. The internet has demanded more attention than any other technology. Families are affected by social networks on the internet and are spending less quality time together.

    Ortutay, Barbara. "Family time eroding as Internet use soars." 15 June 2009. msnbc. 13 July 2009
    *no post on HTML again

    :D kirstie

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  16. The second article I found was "Teen Online Safety Mostly About Behavior" written by Larry Magid. This article explains how it is up to the teenager to make the right choice about what they do and say when they use social networking sites such as Myspace or Facebook. It is up to the teenager to act responsible and make the right decisions about what they want to share on the Internet. It also explains how teenagers need to interact with their "real world" friends along with socializing on the Internet.

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  17. citations :)

    Clemmitt, M. (2006, July 28). Cyber socializing. CQ Researcher, 16, 625-648. July 14, 2009, CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/ cqresearcher/ cqresrre2006072800.

    Magid, Larry. "Teen online safety mostly about behavior | Larry Magid at Large - CNET News." Technology News - CNET News. 17 June 2009. 14 July 2009
    (won't allow me to post HTML)

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  18. The first article I read was an article I found on abcnews.com. It was called, “Cyber Bullying Leads to Teen’s Suicide” and talked about the suicide of Megan Meier. By reading this story, I was able to prove that it is easier for bullies to bully on the Internet rather than in person. Megan Meier wasn't bullied by a teenager like herself, but by a lady. In fact it was her neighbor who triggered Megan Meier’s suicide. Her neighbor was only able to bully her though because she had a fake identity. This article also helps me prove how dangerous the Internet can be for so many teens.
    The second article I read was “No Muscles Needed” by Joan E. Lisante. This article talked about kids who cyber bully other kids and threaten to hurt or kill them. It focuses on the fact that these types of bullies aren’t the normal bullies, big and muscular. These bullies can be anyone who can put someone’s life in danger by typing a few words on the internet. This article helped me realize how cyber bullying affects everyone of all ages. The bullies don’t have to necessarily be big and the victims don’t have to small

    "Parents: Cyber Bullying Led to Teen's Suicide - ABC News."

    “No Muscles Needed” Joan E.

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  19. The article "Cyber Socializing" by Marcia Clemmitt was mainly talking about young adult dating on the internet. It showed statistics and telled stories about one's personal life story on their experience with internet socializing. It introduced networking like myspace and facebook. It also introduced the risk of sexual abuse. Teens or young adults should be mature and know what the right thing to do.

    - Sheldon

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  20. The second article I read was "Teenager's Internet Socializing Not a Bad Thing" by Tamar Lewin. Like the first article this one also introduced Myspace. She says that it looks like we might be wasting our time time on Myspace, but it is actually a positive thing. Tamar says "But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy thry need to succeed in the conetemporary world." It is the Teens choice to see internet networking as a good thing or bad.

    - Sheldon

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  21. The first website I found was on the symptoms that internet addiction caused. It said that in recent years it has become even more of a problem. The trend has been increasing for the last 10 years. This problem needs to be acted upon soon before it is too late. The website also talks about that some kids get a similar feeling as kids on drugs. They just keep seeking more and more. It also stated that most addicted kids play 5 hours a day on these games.
    Staroversky. 16 Aug. 2005. Ivan Staroversky. 13 July 2009 http://www.staroversky.com/teenagers/games-and-internet-addiction.html.

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  22. The second website talked about teen obesity. I found out that both addictions to the internet and obesity rates have risen at almost the same. Thus making me conclude that teenage addition to the internet is one of the causes of teenage obesity. The rise in teenage obesity is very bad and could cause lethal damage to America if we do not get fit.
    Pamf. 28 May 2008. Palo Alto Medical Foundation. 13 July 2009 http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/diseases/obesity.html.

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  23. The first article i read was about teens and kids learning problem solving and many other skills by playing online video games. If all the violence was taken away, games are basically giant puzzles players have to solve. They also need so socialize with other players. People learn more in online games because they arent afraid to make mistakes, and we learn the most from our mistakes.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    The second article i read was about the violence in the online games we play. It suggests that by playing these games, teens and children are hipnotized into behaving violently. I think that it all depends on the person playing the game. Some will act violently because of the game, but others will simply realize that it is a game and will seperate it from reality.

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  24. Bibliography:

    Glazer, Sarah. "Video Games." CQ Researcher 10 Nov. 2006. CQ Researcher. CQ Researcher. 13 July 2009 http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2006111000&type=hitlist&num=1.

    "Video Games and Violence." 6 July 2007. Issues and Controversies. Issues and Controversies. 13 July 2009 http://www.2facts.com/ICOF/temp/13668tempi1200390.asp?DBType=ICOF#i1200390_1.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Bibliography
    -Jamison, Barbara. “Obsessive Internet use poses risk of isolation, depression, researchers say.” CNN 13 June 2000. 13 July 2009. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/06/13/internet.addiction.wmd/.
    -Sleek, Scott. “Isolation increases with Internet use.” American Psychological Association. Volume 29. Number 9 (September 1998). 13 July 2009 http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep98/isolat.html.
    Esther :D

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  26. The article, "Teens and Internet Addiction" discusses about how internet addiction becomes a problem for teens and parents for it's decline in relationships. More and more teens would rather spend time socializing online than on phones or visual conversations but it's sometimes safe for people this way to prevent physical abuse and harassments. As teens continue to do this, they start to lose real relationships with their friends and families. It's best for parents to try and patronize their children to resolve their internet addiction problems so they won't be in danger to public exposition.

    Douglas, Ann. "Teens and Internet Addiction"
    Teens and Internet Addiction
    July 13, 2009
    http://ca.lifestyle.yahoo.com/family-relationships/articles/parenting/anndouglas/teens-teens_and_internet_addiction/1

    -Josh

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  27. The first article that I found advocated the benefits of social networking. These sites help teenagers communicate over distances, usually communicate with their friends. In addition, social networking helps teenagers to develop crucial skills. They learn to listen to the opinions of others and are more open about their thoughts. These aspects teach teenagers the importance of cooperation and builds leadership skills. Social networking does not negatively affect our lives; by participating, teenagers demonstrate a desire to be social, and they develop skills. However, teenagers have a tendency to display personal information.
    The second article that I observed described the dangers of the Internet. While the Internet has endless amounts of information and can create communications over distances, there are many dangers. The site then promotes parental assistance. By helping teenagers navigate the Internet, the Internet will become a safer place.

    Bibliography
    Hill, Richard L. "Kid online? Relax, experts tell parents." 20 Feb. 2006. 13 June 2009. http://www.soc.northwestern.edu/justine/PressClippings/kidonline.pdf.
    Hobson, Pam. "Parents Make a Difference!" Feb. 2007. Southwest Wisconsin Youth Survey. 13 June 2009. http://grant.uwex.edu/tap/documents/TeensandInternetSafety.pdf.
    (url with the < and the >)
    -Stratford

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  28. "Internet Addiction Makes Teens More Aggressive" explains the consequences of children being exposed to violent or adult material. Children become aggressive and develop their behavior when they continue to do these things. Their behaviors will stay like that if no adult supervision takes place.

    Vieru, Tudor. "Internet Addiction Makes Teens More Aggressive"
    July 13,2009
    http://news.softpedia.com/news/Internet-Addiction-Makes-Teens-More-Aggressive-105261.shtml

    -Josh

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  29. My artical "Distance Learning Pros and Cons" by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. presented the pros and cons associated with learning over the internet. Online education allows The affordability of not going to school, it usually works beside your existing job or career, you dont have to be specifically in the classroom, and some people work better at home.
    The cons in this equation are that there is no face to face time with the instructor, Colleges that are not online consider on-line classes usually sub-par, You will not experience school and the social experience.

    Bibliography
    Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D
    "Distance Learning Pros and Cons"
    no date
    http://www.quintcareers.com/distance_learning_pros-cons.html

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  30. My first article, Video Games by Sarah Glazer, debated on whether video games was good for literacy and creative aspects or its extremely unhealthy and bad. A majority of the teenagers of this world commit each day to playing video games. This article talks about what results appear through this addictive, repetitive cycle of gaming and what effects it has on the gamer. Question after question, this article possesses very convenient and intelligent information about studies on what teenagers reflect on gaming nowadays.

    Bibliography:

    Glazer, S. (2006, November 10). Video games. CQ Researcher, 16, 937-960. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2006111000


    - Grace:)

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  31. My second article, "Game feature and expertise effects on experienced richness, control and engagement in game play" by Craig Peter, talks about the engagement students possess to an online video game. This article includes studies about the hypotheses for this addictive engagement. The design and experience a gamer commits too makes it more exciting and fun so the gamer is totally engaged too is; thats one hypotheses stated from this article.

    Bibliography:

    O, Peter. "Game feature and expertise effects on experienced richness, control and engagement in game play." http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=39776218&site=ehost-live

    - Grace(:

    ReplyDelete