CyberGuard - Personhood Pitfalls on the Internet

PERSONHOOD PITFALLS: INTERNET ISOLATION

Internet Isolation is one of the major pitfalls that any adult or youth can fall into with severe consequences. This addiction to the Internet meets some basic guidelines. Foremost, it allows the person to avoid some unpleasant reality. Second, it allows community where there anonymity is not an issue. Unfortunately, the "community" and rewards are not necessarily "real" since they are fleeting and illusory.

While the Internet is a power tool, there are many dangers of becoming a nightowl and meeting certain needs without interaction with the real world. Chat rooms (replacement of real friends with virtual friends), IM (spoken conversation with virtual), pornography (relationships replaced with virtual), and less interaction with people is not only detrimental to one's health, it can do true damage to one's character.

While there is no sure-fire way to find out if you, your friend, your kid brother, or even your parents are affected by Internet isolation, Antionline's guide to FIGHT BACK and several pointers to see if your child is a malicious hacker can be used.

APA also has a 1998 study on Internet isolation. An excerpt from this study epitomizes the problem:

"...Many users, caught in the allure of connecting with a global array of people with similar interests, seem to be substituting weak online friendships for their stronger real-life relationships..."

INTERNET ISOLATION

1998 study - American Psychological Association on Internet Isolation
2000 article - CNN on how obsessive use of the Internet leads to depression