For the past few years, the digital world has captured my attention. A creation made in 1969 by the Defense Department has become my release from reality; a way to explore, learn, and discover something new day after day. The Information Super-Highway is my community. As with almost everything, being attached to something so strongly has both positive and negative effects.
For some people, the Internet is nothing more and nothing less than a bundle of information. For others such as myself, the Internet is not only a form of learning - it's a way to express myself. For example, owning a personal webpage gives me the opportunity to express myself in a way that is much different from offline expression. Not only is it an emotional release, but I can also incorporate my artistic abilities within the layout. Chatrooms are a fantastic form of communication.
One has the opportunity to speak with someone in a different country without the cost of long distance charges. The knowledge one can gain from viewing an educational, informative website is phenominal. It can do anything from helping you with a term-paper, to keeping track of your ancestry. These examples all reflect the positive effects of the digital world. On the other hand, the Internet somewhat resembles the game Telephone. Accurate information is hard to come across when browsing the Web for educational purposes.
One must research several pages to acquire correct information. The Internet tends to tear you away from important things such as family and friends. Because the Internet is a fairly new concept, it remains interesting - thus pulling you in from your every day life. Another negative effect I've aquired is my personal dependency on the Web when dealing with emotion.
Most people have a paper diary - mine is consisted of HTML (HyperText Markup Language). Without the Internet, I would definitely be a different person mentally. Comparing my attachment to the Internet in comparison with Bettelheim's theories is a somewhat easy task. Bettelheim had the notion that if one is too involved in his/her community, they may be shielded from crucially important truths.
I'm shielded from the actuality of every day life. I experience things in digital more often than in reality. I'm able to deal with problems that arise when dealing with the Internet better than I can in the real world. I live life in digital as one would live otherwise.
Who would have thought a creation by the Defense Department would one day become someone's community? Although this attachment may shield me from the actuality of every day life, I'm happy. Like the Franks, I would much rather be satisfied with my community than life in a world in which I would always prefer to be somewhere else. Word Count: 462
