Many people are dependent on the internet in today’s society. The internet is used by various age groups for a plethora of activities such as reading forums, playing video games, and social networking. Young people, in particular have grown up being surrounding by this amazing technology. Although the internet can be beneficial to users, it can also promote feelings of inadequacy by comparing oneself to others.
“Growing Up Online,” is a video documenting how the internet has affected some teens in New Jersey ( http://video.pbs.org/video/1082076027/ ). Manango et al., 2008 suggests that the website MySpace, allows users who are going through identity exploration, an opportunity to try new identities through virtual reality. Unfortunately, in “Growing Up Online,” a girl named Jess created a fake online identity through MySpace. In the video, Jess describes how she did not want to portray her true self online because it reminded her of not having friends. She states that she was constantly teased because she did not fit in. The Social Comparison theory suggests that we compare ourselves to others who are better than we are in certain traits or compare ourselves to people who are not as well off as we are (Schneider et al., 2012). As a result of feeling inadequate by comparing herself to others, Jess created a MySpace page where she self-presented herself as a girl named “Autumn.” Jess applied heavy makeup and posted suggestive photos on her page (i.e. wearing lingerie). Through this fake persona, Jess finally got the attention that she craved in an unhealthy way.
The video also interviews a girl named Sara who is suffering from an eating disorder. She uses pro-anorexia websites to self-disclose to others and to gain advice, tips, and inspiration to be thin (i.e. encouraging anorexia). The website clearly affects Sara’s social and personal identity (i.e. identifying herself as an anorexic) (Schneider et al., 2012). According to Bardone-Cone et al., 2007, viewing pro-anorexia websites influence women’s level of self-comparison with female images (i.e. social comparison theory) and their reported probability of participating in numerous behaviors and thoughts connected to food, exercise, and weight (Schneider et al., 2012). The video states that users of these pro-anorexia websites call anorexia “Ana” and link it to the goddess, “Ana.” Users of these websites use the sites to be thin in an attempt to feel good about oneself.
Despite the internet’s perks, the technology can be a harmful environment for users, which sometimes promotes feelings of inadequacy. As seen in “Growing Up Online,” the internet allows users an opportunity to engage in unhealthy acts such as creating fake online identities and using websites to promote and encourage eating disorders such as anorexia. Interventions to these problems is a must. It is important for parents, as well as teachers, to educate students about risks and dangers one may encounter on the internet. Interventions should also include educating young people about the health risks associated with eating disorders and should encourage healthy eating and exercise habits. As with any intervention, however, it is important to evaluate the intervention’s success and adjust it accordingly.
References
Bardone-Cone, A., & Cass, K. (2007). What Does Viewing a Pro-Anorexia Website Do?. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40 (6), 537-548.
Manago, A., Graham, M., Greenfield, P., & Salimkhan, G. (2008). Self-presentation and gender on MySpace. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Volume 29, Issue 6, November–December 2008, Pages 446-458, Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.001. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397308000749)
Growing Up Online (2008). PBS Video. Retrieved from http://video.pbs.org/video/1082076027/
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 978-1412976381
What I find to be very interesting is that when it comes to teenagers and technology, such as playing video games, watching television, or using the computer for social networking sites or just browsing the web, much of the conversation and studies are regarding the emotional or mental consequences of using technology as opposed to the physical consequences.
It seems as though teens nowadays are constantly on their iPhones, or staring at the television, or fixatedly gaming, because they are. “It’s estimated that children ages 8 to 18 spend an average of seven hours a day behind screens” (Samakow, 2013). They spend “an average of 3,417 text messages each month, and 97% of adolescents have at least one electronic device in their bedrooms” (Samakow, 2013).
All of that time spent behind a screen must have physical side effects and they certainly do. Ways that screens could be harming children physically include:
Hurting their necks and backs because their hunched over all the time. Children who spend so much time behind screens are also much less active which is linked to obesity. Additionally, children’s fingers and wrists suffer because of all tapping and their hands remaining in the same position for long periods of time. Furthermore, sleep can be disrupted because many teens sleep with their cell phones. Finally, their sight could also be affected. According to David Epley, a pediatric ophthalmologist, “whenever someone spends time in front of a screen their blink rate goes own, which can lead to dry, itchy eyes and eye strain” (Samakow, 2013). Further down the road, it could also lead to nearsightedness.
Bottom line, parents should be aware of the amount of time their teens are spending in front of a screen, not just for the sake of their emotional well-being but for the sake of their physical well-being too.
Reference
Samakow, J. (2013, October 17). Here’s What A Constantly Plugged-In Life Is Doing To Kids’ Bodies. Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/teens-on-screens_n_4101758.html
This is a fairly powerful example of technology’s impact on individuals and especially youth. Do you think maybe an educational intervention of some sort would benefit young adults in properly using technology and media? Since you gave examples of Jess and Sarah reaping from site that provoke negative behaviors, perhaps if they knew more about sites that could help them and benefit their situations they would be more likely to take advantage of them. There are plenty of opportunities for individuals to benefit from technology and media, it should just be better appreciated.