oh hey

"I remember when my niece, Toni, was a newborn, I'd babysit her and sometimes she'd cry, like babies do. Nine times out of ten I could solve problem, I could figure it out, but...sometimes when I'm walking along the street, and a shaft of sunlight falls in a certain way across the pavement, and I just want to cry. And a second later it's over. And I decide, because I'm an adult, to not succumb to the momentary melancholy, and I had that sometimes with Toni. She just had a moment like that. A moment of not knowing why, and she just let herself...go into it. And there was nothing anyone could do to make it better -- it was just her, and the fact of being alive, colliding."

Life has a gap in it; it just does. Don't go crazy trying to fill it.

Adequacy is the moment you've sold yourself to everyone else's fulfillment, the moment you lose all that you've saved up since your childhood to define the lines that border your soul. 

don't be afraid of being afraid. it sounds like the most dangerous thing in the world

put some armor around that gooey little heart of yours. 

I love you

Sex and Crystal Meth

That's not what my blog is actually about, but Olivia's posts always get more views than mine, so I'm hoping this will do the trick. Anyway, I've been pretty bored lately with school and such, so I've been focusing my energy on random stuff that will mess with my mind. Whether it be the universe, free-will, moral systems, or life after death, it doesn't matter. I could talk about any and all of these for hours, which I probably will over the course of this blog, but I'm completely unsure which to talk about now. Random number generator here I come! Results on the way.
It was a 2.
Thank god. Free-will is so interesting.
A philosophical question that likely will never be really solved is that of free will v. determinism. Free will is thought of as the ability to do otherwise, which is essentially that the universe doesn't already have a path for you, and you make your own path. You have the ability to make choices. The other side is determinism, which is essentially that everything that happens, every choice you make, has its own conditions behind it. If the conditions (same past experiences, same point in time, same genetics, same everything) there is no way that any other decision would be made. Debate this: Whatever you had for breakfast this morning, if you followed the exact same path for your entire life, and you wake up on this morning in time millions of times, will you ever do otherwise? Will you ever choose anything else?
Take a moment to think(don't skip this) and decide which one makes sense to you. Don't let me influence you.

Don't skip this.

























Stop scrolling and think, you devious anarchists.



















Alright, good. Now, I'd like to state first of all that I'm not god. I don't know the answer. I could be wrong, so no one get defensive in the comments. I'm arguing for the sake of arguing, and because it's a mind trip. Like I said, I'm really bored. This stuff fascinates me.

Anyway, as some of you may have guessed with my breakfast analogy, I'm a fan of the determinist point of view. A big reason is that everything in the universe, is made of matter. Matter is governed by unchangable physical laws. Your brain is made of matter. Ipso facto, your brain is governed by unchangable physical laws. Some say that the brain is different in some way, so when I heard this argument, I wanted to figure out where the line of "different" is drawn. So, a buddy of mine came up with this situation, here goes.
You're walking down the street, and are hit by a bus. You lose both your legs, and are replaced by fully functional prosthetic legs. You can feel everything, and they work exactly the same, yet they're synthetic. Are you still you? Can you still make decisions? (Nod your head "Yes")
You're walking down the street again, and are hit by another bus. You lose both your arms this time. Again, they're replaced by fully prosthetic arms, fully functional, and with sense of touch and all that. Synthetic. Are you still you? Can you still make decisions? (Nod your head "Yes")
You're walking down the street yet again (You would think you'd stop going down the street by now, but that's not important) and are hit by another bus. Your torso is wiped out, and all of your organs and such are completely replaced with synthetics. Same deal, fully functional, blah blah blah. Same questions, nod your head "yes" again, you monkeys.
Blah blah blah street bus, and your head is hit. New medical breakthroughs allow your head to be replaced synthetically, and you'll be exactly the same. Your memories, your thoughts, everything about you is exactly the same. Yet you're fully synthetic. Do you, a complete robot have free will? Even though everything about you is completely programmed? What if I create a robot not based on a human, and make him whatever person I'd like? Does that robot have free will?

If you answered "no" to any of the questions, good for you. You're hopeful. Are we all nothing but the sum of our experiences and genetics? We'd undoubtedly have different viewpoints if we were exposed to different environments. I don't know. Anyway guys, this is a great discussion topic. Don't just read this and not comment. COMMENT. Discussions are good for the soul. Show that you have the free will to comment.

Internet Addiction - Taking control of what is our fault

For the past few decades, the internet and social online games have been trapping people inside their houses in secluded rooms. Because most of these addicts are teenagers, there parents and family overreact and call in psychiatrists to help with the so called addiction. But there really is no true harmful addiction being taken place. Of course lights glow when certain parts of the brain are stimulated when doctors poke around to so called addicts, but its nothing compared to the harmful effects of drugs and alchol.

Some say that once addicted to the internet, your lives shut down, and eventually you dont participate in the real world and lose contact with friends. Its all bullshit. I have a friend who I have known for the past three years. He is, by a doctors definition, addicted to the internet. He goes online and plays WOW almost everyday and spends multiple hours with other video games and online social games. From reading this, you would assume he has no life. A picture could be drawn about this person, and it would probably portray a filthy, lazy person, in a secluded, dark room with no friends wasting his life. But damn you could not be more wrong. This person is an allstar athlete, in two sports, and a genius at school; taking several AP classes and exceeding in all of them. Sure you may assume I am lying, and I would tell you his name but I cannot without his consent, (although Economos I do believe you had him as a student last year). This proves that people who constantly play video games and online games are not subject to addiction. Its if you have the balls to get up and be motivated to do something. There are some addicts who would leave school early or skip it entirely to get a few more hours leveling up, but it all depends on the will of the man.

Internet Addiction should not be ruled as an "addiction" because what of the other far more addicting activities such as porn or sex. Both are highly attactive, and almost everyone does both. But that dosent mean we are going to take two or three days out of our week to do it. And a doctor should that the same area in the brain is stimulated when one does either task.

I believe that the only reason society makes such a huge deal about this is because they do not fully understand it yet. My father is a bit older than my fellow students, I believe he is sixty maybe. So in the 1950's, when he was born, he lived in a seculded land area of 112 acers of land in Maine. Our modern toys are t.v., phones, xbox and so on; his toys were knives, guns, and some wild animal to shoot. His most relatable toy was a 19 inch black and white television which he watched occasionly. Two observations can be stated from this. The first is that adults didn't have the same childhood as we had. We have social online games which is found peculiar and mysterious by some adults. They dont fully understand what we are going through, and what we can control.
The other
 observatoin is that we dont have the experience nor the chance that our parents had. For Johns Creek, we live in the suburbs, a modern town which each house may have only a few acres of land to play on. I am lucky enough to have a dozen or so acres. I  can play baseball, play with my dogs, and chop down trees. This real life experience is what keeps me off of my videogames. Without land, I probably would stay inside playing WOW.

Another notable thing is that I watched a Ted Talk Video about pills and ADD. Some, like myself, believe it isnt real. ADD was made to pocket more money for the medicine, ADD is just a lame excuse to not do well in school. But there are some who have serious cases which must be taken care of, but for the most part it isnt real. So why should we believe some doctors about internet addiction. If we believe them, in a few years time, they will be selling anti-internet addiction medicine; do we really want that.

The truth is the society we live in is not a good one, it is full of pussies who need to suck on their mommas tit until they turn 40 and their parents arent around anymore. They need to grow up and get off the games. Sure, take a break once in a while, relax and half fun with friends online, killing demons and assassinating people. Its fine to have fun, but damn have a limit. I am on the computer right now. I am on the internet writing blog, but I'm not on facebook, or youtube, or WOW. I have control. We dont need medicine to cure these so called addictions. What we need is for parents to get up, grab them by the collar, get their heads out of their asses, and pry their eyes open to the real world. Because getting stuck behind the virtual world wont last forever. One day reality will set in and take a giant crap on what is left of their life.

this seemed appropriate

Is Internet Addiction a Load of Crap?

Yes and no. After watching "Rock Center" with Bryan Williams, and looking at both sides of the story, I've decided that the Internet is "habit forming" but not addicting. Addiction is defined by dictionary.com as "the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to somethingthat is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics,to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma." The key phrase is that "cessation causes severe trauma." You can't say that just because someone goes on Facebook all the time, that you can classify them in the same class as a meth addict. It just doesn't add up. I see an "addiction" to the interent as the same thing as an addiction to chipotle. Yes, it's fantastic, and I love going there, but that doesn't classify me as an addict. It's a habit of mine to go to Chipolte, but I'm not addicted. 

I just can't believe that it's a real thing. I can draw the comparison to ADD/ADHD. The diseases aren't real. People who don't feel like focusing or get bored in class label themselves with some "mental disorder" and demand pills to help them concentrate. Are internet addicts going to be medicated next? It's a ridiculous point to make. As a society, we're too inclined to say we have "a problem" and expect to have our problem fixed with some drug. 

I'm not saying the internet is okay to be on all day, and nothing will happen. It's absolutely habit forming. And it's not a great habit to have. American obesity anyone? However, if you stop "using" the internet, you won't go into convulsions, you won't throw up, and you won't show any physical symptoms whatsoever. The only thing that will happen, is you'll have more time on your hands and probably be bored. That sucks, but you don't need to be treated for boredom. Go outside and throw a football, tubby.

Internet Addictions

The psychological addiction to the internet,  the era of digital crack, is a recently-present problem. Brian Williams, on Rock Center, has a host of candidates analyzed for their personal stories. Is it something that exists? Definitely. Is it itself a huge worry? Probably not.

While it is a worry when they show people such as the online-gamer who's lives are inside their electronic box, a small obsession with Facebook isn't really an issue. The difference - the online-gamer typically spends over 6 hours of their day staring at a digital screen, focusing all of their brain on irrelevant information. This activity is extremely counter-productive, and useless to the things that matter for progress in life.

All people are different though; if this activity makes some people extremely happy, then good for them. I would rather have online-gamers than possible murderers. Better they are shooting eachother over Runescape Gold then tangible possessions.

After seeing the T.V. show, I believe there is another, more severe problem. In my opinion, it is more the mother's faults than the child's fault. The parents that are letting these kids be violently addicted to their computer screen need to crack the damn whip. Maybe I just can't understand because I'm not a parent, but if my child was addicted to an activity that was affecting actual productivity and their personality, I wouldn't hesitate to tell them to go play outside. There are some evils on the internet, nature is mostly good.

Internet Addiction

Is Internet addiction real? Can it be treated the same as other addictions, such as to drugs? This topic has been quite controversial recently.  On "Rock Center" with Brian Williams, Nancy Snyder had the opportunity to interview people from both ends of the spectrum.  And after hearing the arguments for myself, I'm not convinced.

This timing is great.  In AP Psychology we literally just covered the various drugs and their effects on the body.  Addiction can be physiological, psychological, or both.  The tolerance that addicts build up to drugs can visibly be seen in the brain.  The withdrawl to some of these drugs is excruciating.  There are serious, lasting, health effects.  In my opinion, it just doesn't make any sense to categorize excessive internet usage as an addiction and weigh it the same as being addicted to heroin, or cocaine, or to being an alcoholic.

Honestly, I think that in today's society we are too quick to diagnose others.  We've seen this before, with ADD and ADHD.  Companies are doping up kids with drugs, making sure that they develop a dependence to them, and happily pocketing the cash from their families.  It's a sick, twisted, never-ending cycle.  If we are to now begin diagnosing internet addiction, we're opening up pandora's box.  Are we to say that because a child plays computer games way too much, he needs treatment? What about people who have a lot of sex? Or who never stop reading? Should they, too, be diagnosed as having an unhealthy "addiction"? Where do we draw the line?

Now I'm not saying that it's ok for kids to be on the internet all day long.  It's not.  But we can take matters into our own hands without paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for someone else to.  Enforce the number of hours your child is allowed to be on the computer each day.  Make them go outside. Plan activities that force them to get out of the house. 

Internet addiction may be an issue for some, but it is in no way shape or form a condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated. 

Internet Addiction

          I never thought about addictions outside of drugs but this show has really brought my attention to a topic I would have otherwise ignored. It's really frightening how many different types of addictions there are that affect people. In the show however, there were people who argued that internet addiction is not a real thing and I think that the defense against that was really believable. We can't just confine ourselves assuming that only drugs are addictive and must open ourselves to other types of addictions so that we can find a solution for them before they actually become a major issue. Besides, "It's not a type of addiction" is probably exactly what people said about drugs and look what happened. Internet addiction is a very probable threat that has already started affecting hundreds of people and with the rate at which technology is advancing, how long until all of us are effected? 

          I really feel bad for the people who are losing everything because of this but I also think that they should still show at least a little bit more self control. After all, hundreds of other people are exposed to the same games and sites, so why don't they become addicted? I think it's because of our mindset. Some people are more dedicated to their outside lives than others so they are at a lower risk of becoming addicted. And others may also have multiple other things to focus on such as school so they have like a "higher calling" that stops them from becoming addicted. I think it's the people with too much free time that are at the highest risk of becoming addicted. After all, an idle mind is a vulnerable mind- words to live by. 

          I think this issue will really make other people realize that technology, although useful on the surface, has a dark essence inside. Because of technology, people are able to work more and get more done but that also increases the demands so really, we haven't gotten anywhere near making our lives easier. And as populations grow faster than technology grows, the demand gets harder and harder to meet. Here is a report from CNN showing some of the world's happiest countries. At the top is Costa Rica. The first thing I noticed was that almost none of the first world countries are on there. The difference between these countries and us, they don't have the technology we do. It's all about perspective. What may look bleak to us, seems great to them. So technology is only as useful as we make it and so far, I don't think we have done a good job, as this addiction shows.

                                                                                                  -Jalees N.

Sources:
          http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/denmark-ousted-100-latest-worlds-happiest-country-             561826

Internet Addiction

I feel like everywhere you look there are people trying to make up diseases or addictions to take people’s money, whether there is an actual addiction or not. One of the doctors that spoke about this piece said “it is easy to change the definition of a psychological disorder”. I completely agree with that and this internet addiction is example A. The internet “addiction” seems to be stretching the line of addiction; however, I do believe people become obsessed and that is different.

Addictions can by psychological or physical, recently learned in depth from AP Psych. Physical addictions results in with drawl because the body is lacking or having to remake substances that the drug controlled. Psychological addictions is the user making themselves believe that they need to have the drug or else they will not be able to function, like coffee.

The one leading fact that this internet addiction could be real is the MRI scan that showed more action in the areas of the brain that controlled decision making, emotions, and self-control. These are the same areas that are affected when someone in on drugs. A drug induces the high by blocking certain types of neurotransmitters from brain receptors. There is an actual active substance controlling chemicals in the human body. This is a true addiction. Even though the scans show the same areas activated as those who are on drugs, the people are not having agonizing with drawls like those who are in drug rehab. These internet addicts don’t physically need the internet (seriously you can’t even touch it).

 I think internet addiction could be self inflicted- like a psychological addiction. We use the internet so much in our daily lives that we feel the need to use it. People convince themselves that they must play an online game or check facebook or twitter when they just checked if they had any notifications two minutes ago. Almost everyone I know will aimlessly go through their iPhone on the internet, apps, or social media when we are bored or not doing anything. The kid who was obsessed with online games and had a mental break down when his mom took away his computer- that need is all in his head. Also, that child is obviously not disciplined well if the mom and sister had to hide in a room.

Researchers say people who are addicted to the internet show the same signs as actual drug addicts in their daily lives: the inability to stop even though they claim they will, sleep deprivation, and pulling away from human relationships. These are some of the examples straight from our AP Psych book as signs of an alcoholic. This is so weird. But this also brings to my attention another example of how strong the human mind can be.

Let’s say your friend got a sweet tea and you ordered a coke. You are actually drinking the sweat tea, but it tastes like coke because that is the taste your mind was expecting. After a minute, you realize you are drinking sweet tea and your mind is blown. Trust me this happened to me the other week. I think this can apply to psychological addictions in the way people’s minds control their expectations about how much they need the internet.

 If this internet addiction is real, it’s all in people’s heads. There is no physical demand like the effects cocaine. I think doctors are pushing obsessions over the line to addicts. Seriously, $400 a day for an internet addiction cure? Just send those people to the mountains where there is no internet or cell service- not only is that a free fix, but also it would be funny to watch. Hey look I probably just created another reality show idea. Go figure.

Addiction?

Everyone has been affected by an addiction at some point. More commonly heard of addictions are to drugs and alcohol. These addictions start with the intake of one of the two which triggers a release of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin makes you feel good and so it leads to an ongoing battle between people and their desires until the body becomes reliant on the substance. That’s the beginning of the worst case scenario. However, recently, researchers have found that addiction to the internet may be just as real as these addictions. On Rock Center with Brian Williams, resident professional Dr. Nancy Snyder interviewed many people with this new “disease”. However it seems that new addictions are popping up every day and “we didn’t always call them addictions”. The report was supported with MRI scans of addict’s brains. The areas that are affected include “decision-making, emotions, and self-control”.  It’s hard to grasp that an activity as simple as getting on the internet, where no form of physical intake is involved, can have the same effect on your brain as drugs or alcohol. Dr. Snyder interviewed a woman who said her son was addicted and it changed his entire personality, but it also affects the addict’s social skills. Many researchers think that more research needs to be done in order to officially diagnose this addiction. Like I said, it’s a hard addiction to grasp because it seems like “goofy science”, but for those who are experiencing it themselves and living it, it is a real addiction. Restart is the name of a rehab center that was created to help people who are addicted to the internet turn their lives around. Ironically named, they restart their lives rather than restarting computers or gaming systems. The problem with Restart is that it costs about $400 a day and by the end of an average stay $40,000. However, if you are spending all of your time on the internet and don’t have a job, paying for your treatment could be really difficult. It’s hard to say whether or not being addicted to the internet is a real addiction. In this day and age, people come up with so many “diseases” when really we are all just different. We all learn differently and have different tolerances to substances and activities but I guess we cannot say that an internet addiction isn’t real when we don’t feel like we or our loved ones are experiencing it.  

internet addiction

Today i watched Rock Center on internet addiction and i have mixed emotions on it. It's funny because sometimes i believe my mom is addicted to the internet constantly checking her emails and playing card games. However, I do not think that internet addiction is a disorder. A disorder to me is a sickness or a mental illness which one can not overcome. Internet addiction is definitely something someone can overcome and get rid of. The boy that was talked about in that part of the show was a great example on internet addiction can affect someone's life. However, most teen boys now a days do not play games on the internet as much as they play xbox or other devices in that category. I feel as if internet addiction is simply something stupid that people who have nothing else to do with their lives get brain washed into. The older man that was interviewed on this topic during the show believed that he was a loser in real life, but a winner on the internet. That in itself is just sad. These people need to go out and do something with their lives in my opinion and stop acting like they have to have the internet. The fact that the kids mom had to call 911 because her son was being violent after she took his computer is beyond me. The way society is today is just that though technology is everything to us kids and it sickens parents. Even though i hate being without my phone and without my computer i would never get to the point that someone would need to call 911 on me. It all just seems stupid in my opinion. I honestly don't even think it was worth talking about on television.

Internet Addiction?

Internet Addiction?

Internet addiction isn't real. 

NBC News' Rock Center delivered a news segment only pertaining to a few individuals who have suffered this problem. Internet addiction, as the NBC News anchor asserts, is actually real. However, her justification is not acceptable. She cites a few individuals who have suffered through this, but a handful of people with "internet addiction" does not justify this to be admitted as a medical condition. 

The act of accusing the internet for addiction is ludicrous. Society has underwent a transformation where the internet is now our most important communication medium. This communication medium now serves us in unimaginable ways. Work is now shifted towards the internet and emails, entertainment is now being shown on the internet, families can communicate in closer ways with the internet. This is merely just a change in medium that the press decides to overhype about as an addiction. Just because more people decide to spend time with their internet connected devices to finish work does not justify them as "addicted." 

NBC also aired a few clips of interviews of families who have suffered through a "victim" of internet addiction. However, this segments are not convincing at all. The word addiction goes way too far for these interviews to support. These unlucky individuals are just obsessed with the internet, not addicted. NBC also cited a few neural studies with sections of the brain, but the study itself is incompetent to show any credible results. NBC cites this as a "small study" that compares brain sections with "internet addicted" individuals and everyday people. First, this study was a small study which obviously did not include a majority of people to be credible. Second, this study was the only study NBC cited; this shows that either this study was the only one of its kind, or they are much more competing studies which proves internet addiction is a hoax. 

Though NBC, I believe, did not air this segment to change opinions, they have certainly not provided a convincing argument for internet addiction.

Internet Addiction IS NOT A MENTAL DISORDER

Internet Addiction

 

 

                I don’t understand where this reasoning that “being addicted to the internet is a mental disorder” came from, but it does not make sense. Professionals are claiming that the continued use of the internet is similar to those of substance abusers. I do not see why or how that is true. The internet is a device that connects you to the world. It helps you interact with anything that is happening. Maybe it is just me, but I do not see how being away from the internet can cause the same effects as being at rehab to get over an addiction for heroin for example.

                “The addiction to the internet” can certainly not be classified as a mental disorder. If you spend countless hours on the internet or playing video games then it does not make you crazy. You are just a teenager. Teen lives are consumes by computers and video games. We are under a lot of stress and these are ways to handle it. It may seem bias because I am a teenager, but to me, hearing about someone being addicted to the internet just sounds like a person that needs to get out more.

                Unless someone has actual evidence that the internet produces the same effects on the brain as mind-altering drugs then I refuse to believe there is a thing as internet-withdrawal becoming a serious problem. Some people can fit in better online then in real person. I don’t think they should be denied what makes them comfortable or happy. I don’t think they should spend all their day on the computer or playing games, but just healthy moderation can make an easy fix. Having constant access to what the internet has to offer, I do see the internet as time consuming. I have a problem seeing how it can affect how you live your life.

bull

          There's a huge controversy over the arbitrary lines of psychological disorders/issues. There really is no place where we mark "this is where all problems are labeled medical concerns". So to argue that internet addiction is an actual addiction, underneath our definition of an addiction, sure. Yeah. Fine. It's an addiction. Even scientifically proven through MRI scans, the brains of internet addicts contain abnormal connections just as those of any drug addict would have. I'll admit, it's a real mental problem, because your mind gets messed up when something foreign and unfamiliar is administered to you.

Addiction is defined as "a state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma". I could be in love with my dog, brush it every minute, and the APA would probably label me as a dog-brushing addict underneath the dictionary.com definition.

I think it's acceptable to be screaming about how internet addiction is real and is a growing problem. But it should not be addressed the same way we treat drug addicts. Drug addicts have a serious physiological problem that ties them to certain drugs, and they require serious medical attention. An internet addict shouldn't be taking opioids to curb his/her cravings.

Sometimes mental problems are just issues that you have to face. At best, these addicts should be given a support system. From thereon, I really don't see much more we can do for them. When the dust hits, just deal with it. Your life's falling apart because Mists of Pandaria has just been released and you just can't help yourself. My sympathies will only go so far.

The same goes for other psychological addictions such as gambling or sex. When you start thinking that drugs are the cure for every psychological issue,  you've dug yourself into some deep...


poop


Because that's where all psychological problems are headed, aren't they. Once we've labeled it as a "medical problem", we will begin treating it with "medicine". For some bizarre reason, this keeps the general public happy, as if all these pills provide some sort of sense of security.

It's the same thing as the ADHD epidemic for me. I'll admit that it's a problem. But is it a problem that requires a chemical to "fix" us? Nah. That's bull. Jake can tell you all about how pharmaceuticals try to sell that stuff.

The rehabilitation center the show focuses on is decent. Cool stuff. But I worry where this is going - we need to draw the line where psychological addictions/problems do not require medical attention. Sometimes, you just need to deal with it.

Your life blows because you gave up your friends for a keyboard, mouse, and Dell computer? You're depressed because you haven't showered and your life is going nowhere? Get your mouse together dude. You really don't know what the meaning of pain and worthlessness is. My dad sees flying ghosts and tries to hurt himself because he thinks the FBI is going to take him away and torture him. That's called psychological. That needs medication.

all you need is a pair of nice shoes.

edited by Theo Economos...

Internet Addiction

Internet Addiction 

When you think of an addiction...what do you think of?
You probably think of alcoholism and addiction to hardcore drugs.  In Rock Center,  Addiction to the Internet was investigated.  Internet Addiction?  It sounds a little strange at first.  There are definitely some skeptics to this addiction, even I was included in this group.  My initial thought was "there's no way someone could be addicted to the internet so much that it becomes a problem."  But the more I think about it, the more it makes more sense.  Think about your everyday life.  At least for me, this is how it works.  I will be doing something and have a break in which I'll have nothing to do so, I just pull out my iPhone and check Twitter and Instagram just to see if anyone has posted anything I haven't seen.  In this Rock Center Investigation,  they recognize an internet addiction as something much deeper than this.  They are talking about the people who aren't able to function or have real friends because they are too busy playing internet games or talking to their online friends.  This is not a shock to me and is definitely something that I think everyone was expecting but not ready to handle.  I don't see this reliance on the internet slowing down.  People buy their electronic products based on internet capabilities.  Companies rely on the internet to keep their staff connected and even a place to store records.  People have easy access to the internet and this addiction will continue to grow exponentially into the future.  I believe that this can be a problem for the addicts and not the users.  Users are able to control themselves while addicts are on another level.  It will be beneficial for people to have rehabilitation centers, like reSTART to help them with their addiction.

France

France - the country of fancy wine, the Eiffel Tower, and the french language. I myself speak french, and have gone to visit my grandparents in the south of France every summer. They live in a wonderful place near Orange. It is a small town, just like you see in the movies, and is surrounded by hundreds of vineyards, as far as the eye can see. It is like a personal sort of heaven for me - a private pool, the warmth of the southern french sun, and, most importantly, family.
In their garden, they have vines, fig trees, apricot trees, cherry trees, and much more. Half the fun of going there is picking everything and enjoying it afterwards. Ham and melon is a very popular dish in France, and one I enjoy immensely. A French tradition that I do not believe I will ever get sued to it eating hot at lunch and cold at night... to me, it feels as though lunch and dinner are switched. I don't dislike it, I simply find it strange.
All in all, the south of France is a place I would recommend that everyone visit, wether for the little shops, or the small towns in which everyone knows everyone, or even just for the fantastic weather.

Internet Addiction

Another addiction has recently been exposed. Not drugs, or cigarettes, or alcohol, but the Internet. This is controversial, as some people believe it is not an addiction, but simply a bad habit, while others maintain that it is without a doubt an addiction. Addiction. What does it even mean? In the words of dictionary.com, it is the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. That pretty much describes the habit of internet addiction - constantly on the computer, and when the games are removed, becoming violent. I will leave it up to you - addiction or bad habit?

Fourth Blog: Internet Addiction

I've been ruminating on what that television segment suggested about the internet and its millions of cronies -- addicts. Quite frankly, I enjoyed more than just the internet addiction segment -- the portion about the abnormally normal family involving the gay couple was fascinating, almost enrapturing to me. 

I would, if time would permit, discuss my opinions on that segment as well, but I am forced to focus on the assigned portion.

I personally thoroughly enjoyed this informative snippet of television. In a nutshell, I simply agree with what the Stanford professor was saying. No, not because he was one of the more reputable authorities dictating their claims and opinions on the matter, but because he is right -- you cannot officially and rationally place a psychological status on someone until several extensive, thorough, and comprehensive studies and experiments have been performed. It pains me to admit to that being a most logical method of extracting the "truest" results because treating humans as test subjects just rubs the wrong way. But I am unquestionably surprised at the fact that little research--or no enough--has gone into this subject: if the pharmaceutical industry could create another category of addiction -- especially one this rampant -- to diagnose millions with, why on America wouldn't they? 

I wish I had the number, but nonetheless, a COLOSSAL percentage of this country---the world--- suffers from "internet addiction" because it is literally something we cannot get our hands off of. I think that Rock Center's report was only the tip of the iceberg because quite honestly the internet is what has sparked this addiction. Recall that one mother in the show had stated her son became uncannily abusive when she revoked his technology. Key word -- technology. She didn't just take away his computer, although that was his root of sanctitude for the internet, we also see him clutching an iPad in one image, suggesting that he transferred his addiction to suit his environment/situation. Therefore this issue is really a subsection of a much larger, and more prevalent one. But as I was saying, I can continue to go around and diagnose my family and friends as internet addicts, but in the eyes of psychological authorities, it means little, as exemplified by one man who was asserting that "you might as well create a golf, shopping...addiction too," or whatever it was. But I would argue against him there as well because people are addicted to those activities in some way as well. Every addiction has satisfaction as its root: we only become obsessed with any one thing if it makes us feel unusually good or just "happier" in general. So if buying things on amazon makes you feel happier than normal, if the sensation of receiving a package in the mail, slicing it open with a knife and proceeding to cradle the product in your hands before you open it and exact your intended satisfaction from it, then when you pass a certain threshold of engaging in that activity you would be classified as addicted. Essentially, you have an addiction when any action or activity that your survival is not dependent on becomes something you do more than routinely -- when your life is dependent on that activity. So those golf players who would say "they only get up every morning to play golf or become a better golfer than they were yesterday" are not addicted, but rather very passionate about their sport. There is a difference.  

I think I could continue blogging to what would appear to be an endless rant, but I feel I should stop for my own sanity haha. I'm sorry I left this so open ended, but hopefully the tangents can connect like a massive web for you as they do for me.

Kylesh

Internet Addiction Video

     Recently, it has been exposed that a new type of addiction has become more and more evident in today's society. The World Wide Web, or more commonly, the Internet, has sparked a new theory which states that addictions don't need to be to physical things. Unlike the more typical drug, cigarette, or sex addiction, Internet is something one cannot touch (unless getting super cozy with your computer screen). This mind-blowing idea that has been revealed on this TV show has shifted points of view from the narrow belief that an addiction is physical, to a whole new idea.
     My skepticism with the idea of Internet addiction derives from the pattern of the brain. This resource claims that brain patterns are affected solely by one's addiction to the Internet. Plain and simple. If I'm addicted to the Internet, my brain works differently than my buddy Suzie's. This can definitely be true, but can't brain patterns be altered from other addictions as well? I feel as if this example of the altering of brain patterns only reverses what people are trying to say about Internet addiction.
     The part of the video that I would most definitely agree with, however, involves the difference between an ADDICT (notice a very negative connotation) and a USER (neutral). In my opinion, there is a large gap between the two types of people- and this "checklist" helps the audience in understanding where the 'line' of addiction is.

current event

The NYPD is starting to sell their 28,000 lbs of spent shell casings to a company in Georgia called Georgia Armory. The company will take the used shells, and re-insert powder, a bullet and a primer, so that they fire like a new bullet. They sell these in bags of 50 bullets for $15. This system saves Georgia police departments a large sum of money. This system is significant because it is the first of its kind, and  other state police departments are already researching systems like this to save more money. Georgia Arms says that since 8 Georgia gun manufacturers had sold illegal firearms leading to many robberies, this is the least their company can do to pay for the damage. This drew Mayor Michael Bloomberg to tighten restrictions on gun control, however, it was surprising that he had allowed this system to take place. Bloomberg's remarks on this were "We’re about crime control. We’re not about gun control."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/nyregion/new-york-city-sells-polices-spent-gun-shell-casings-to-georgia-ammunition-dealer.html?ref=georgia  10/27

I saved this one as a draft on-time, but it didn't publish. I just noticed after paging through my old posts.