A Media Addicted World

We are currently in the midst of a communicative and social revolution. We are using social media and the Internet as never before, and our habits today differ from those even just ten years ago. Many of us are addicted to our smart phones, laptops, and the Internet, and if we go without them for even a few hours we find ourselves distraught.

A study by the University of Maryland asked 200 students to give up all media for 24 hours, including their cellphones, laptops, TV, everything (read the article here). The researchers found that many of the students exhibited withdrawal symptoms similar to addiction to drugs or alcohol, with some students feeling anxious and craving their connection to their friends. Many of us college students feel that we must have things like Facebook, texting, and email, and if we don't have them we feel disconnected from the world. These days most events are planned on Facebook, and you talk to your friend for months at a time without ever actually speaking to them.

A more insane case of media addiction can be found in South Korea, here. A couple from outside Seoul were too busy raising a virtual baby to take care of their real infant, resulting in its death. They were apparently unemployed and distraught that their child was premature, so they decided to raise a perfect virtual child instead. Unfortunately for them, neglecting one's child to death is illegal in South Korea, and they were arrested. This is the most extreme case of Internet addiction I've ever seen, and is almost too crazy to believe. American college students may be too addicted to social media and cellphones to keep all their attention on their studies, but they certainly wouldn't neglect their child in favor of Facebook and texting (though some might argue otherwise). While this kind of addiction is not yet formally a disease, it could be put on the list and receive recognition as a serious mental disorder.