Internet addiction in the media

Recently, I have been interviewed a number of times in national and international media about the topic of internet addiction. While i disagree with the accuracy of the term, it is not that which I wished to be most known for.

If the Internet is being used in a problematic way, it is not the Internet itself that is to blame. The Internet is an environment. If a person is constantly viewing pornography online, or gambling online, it is not the Internet that they are addicted to (despite the Internet being a very powerful actor within society), it is what they are doing with the Internet that is the problem, and thus, how it effects their relationships and responsibilities. Perhaps it is more accurate to say they are addicted to sex, or to gambling, not the actual Internet itself. As I have stated in my book, overuse of the Internet in a harmful way can actually be a sign of other problems in our lives, and using the Internet excessively may be a symptom of other, deeper problems. Consider if you had an obsessive compulsive disorder, using the Internet would be one way that you could feed and increase the problem to be all-consuming.

As I found out from Professor Tao Hongkai, who treats Chinese Internet addicts through rational counseling, he pointed out that when many young people stop playing online games (such as World of Warcraft), they have nothing in their real lives, they are bored, they don't have any friends, so of course, it is no surprise that they go back online to at least have some value and purpose. Many people are replacing their unhappy biological lives with meaningful virtual ones, which to me only is a concern if they are no longer functioning as a member of society. Just because it's 'not what we used to do before' doesn't mean it is 'bad'.

It is a complex issue which will only be increased as we continue to become more and more dependent on the Internet in our everyday lives.

Check out a recent podcast made by Greg Dyett, Senior Producer of SBS Radio World View at http://media.sbs.com.au/audio/worldview-090930-c5a.mp3. See the source at http://www20.sbs.com.au/podcasting/index.

A fascinating post

Internet dependence from another angle - http://glimpse.org/stories/view/ethical-dilemma-limiting-students-internet-access-abroad/

A la natural?

Are we losing the ability to 'be'? In our fetish for stimulation, it
seems that we need to be either watching a screen, listening to
digital audio, or speaking on a phone, all of which constantly
saturates our senses. Can we just 'be' without additional stimulation?
Is there a natural state? Are the benefits of solitude being neglected?

MADLaT

Next week, I am presenting at the MADLaT conference via Centra, a synchronous web conferencing and educational setting, courtesy of Michelle Eady who uses Centra in her research and her teaching.

I am presenting information about my book, The Multiplicities of Internet Addiction in a session scheduled for Friday afternoon (which is early Saturday morning Australian time).

Manitoba Association for Distributed Learning and Training, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Reflecting on tutorials

In the subjects I teach, I usually take 3 - 4 tutorials, which means 3 - 4 groups of approximately 24 students at different times. This is unlike classroom teaching where one has the same group of 30 or so children. One reflects on what one can improve on, and makes adjustments for future lessons.

What has fascinated me about the university teaching process is how each tutorial group can be so different. They can be different dynamically, in terms of contribution, volume, feedback, and interest. Individuals can make a notable difference, especially those with confident personalities. The same 'lesson' that goes well in one tutorial may not go so well in another. This is despite my former premise/assumption that the third or fourth tutorial would be the 'best'. (Third time's a charm ...) The setting, the context, the demographic of students are all similar, yet I am continually surprised at how differently a tutorial can play out, despite me, as the facilitator instigating the same process.

In taking time to reflect on 'what went well', and 'what I would do differently next time', etc., the sound pedagogy of reflective practice is evident. But what I must make allowance for is the diversity that a group of people may have, separate to another group. This brings a unique richness, which has proved to be a fascinating difference evident in tertiary teaching.

Connectivism

On Friday 3rd April, I had the pleasure of coordinating a seminar given by Stephen Downes who presented a talk entitled, 'Connectivism and the Personal Learning Environment'.

I also had the pleasure of meeting John Larkin who has blogged about the experience already and I also met an enthusiastic follower of Stephen Downes named Sui Fai John Mak who teaches logistics at the Sydney Institute and who has set up a community on Ning about Connectivism. John was one of the 2200 students that participated in a course run by Stephen and George Siemens last fall. The details of this course was included in the presentation as well as the theory of connectivism. One of the best descriptors I've seen of connectivism is in this video set up by Wendy Drexler.

Of course I was first introduced to Connectivism by Darcy Moore.

So now that I've acknowledged all these sources, I can get on with explaining my thoughts on the presentation. It was particularly relevant for tertiary teachers as Stephen explained how he and George had set up an open course for anyone who wanted to participate. The many technologies employed were an eye-opener and has made me consider how best I might integrate more technologies in to the subjects I currently teach. It has made me think of the importance that connections make in the sense of developing one's personal learning environment and network. One of the limitations I thought I had was the large number of students (c. 200), but now this seems to no longer to be a constraint. More to come ...

The pressure of beauty

Recent media images have increased my concern about what is understood to be female beauty. Apart from a couple of celebrities who featured on the red carpet at the recent Oscars (Kate Winslet and Beyonce), the rife image of beauty is scrawny. At Hollywood's most eminent event, most looked decidedly emaciated and unhealthy. The definition in the arms suggests a very low body fat percentage. The demise of the bosom and curves perpetually provides an unachievable ideal of poor health. How can something be ideal if it is harmful to you?

This is a sad state indeed. These unattainable (well, it could be attainable for me if I exercised for 2-3 hours a day, and ate half of what I normally do) ideals are extremely problematic and something needs to change. I am not willing to pay the price for scrawny beauty, if it can be called beauty at all.

Actor Network Theory

I came across this article

Prior, N. (2008). Putting a glitch in the field: Bourdieu, actor network theory and contemporary music. Cultural Sociology, 2(3), 301-319.

of which the title is quite informative. This article has helped me understand ANT a lot better, especially these quotes.

From p. 313
Actors like chemicals, airbags and door knobs impose their presence in all sorts of ways that make them partners in interaction. This means that action is no longer perceived as the sole realm of the human actor, but also the realm of the non-human actor, including the technological artefact.

From p. 315
This is precisely the reason why the best work in actor network theory alerts us to how the technical and the social are inextricably linked, in turn sensitizing us to the fact that instruments and associated devices are not passive intermediaries but active mediators.