Google.com is the answer to all my problems. What else do you need? When I'm having trouble remembering that econ equation during my problem set, I google it. I don't even bother looking through my text book; that would take too much time and effort. When I can't remember the name of the song I heard on the radio and have been meaning to download, I google it. What's the weather going to be like today? Google has all the answers, not to mention my homepage and a spot on my favorites.
Caplan (2004) defines Problematic Internet Use as resulting in "maladaptive cognitions and behaviors." It creates a burden on your outside life and evolves into excessive and compulsive use. Caplan provided three components of his theory that result in a cycle of problematic internet use.
1. Individuals with psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence.
2. These individuals prefer online interactions because it is less threatening.
3. Preference for online interactions leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction.
Google.com is an easy way to get pulled into this cycle because of its amazingly diverse realm of information. Even when I'm trying to get to Google Scholar to do research for a paper, I find myself getting distracted by other options like the videos and photos.
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8 comments:
Jenny, I really enjoyed your post.
I never thought of google as something that could lead to problematic internet use. But now that I think about it, that is exactly how I get all of my information as well. The internet is such a wealth of information, it easy to start looking for one thing and get lost in its vastness. Furthermore, google has become such a household name, it is literally the only search engine that I consider using, despite having no information about whether or not it is the fastest, most efficient, or most reliable. I think that rather than people getting addicted to google itself, google asks as the intermediary for sites like youtube and espn, and serves as the vehicle that simplifies the development of addiction. I would speculate that it is the characteristics of google itself, rather than any personality traits of the person, that cause problematic internet addiction within google.
Great Post, have a good weekend
Great post. Google definitely is part of my own problematic internet use. For example, my friend wanted me to send him an album and iChat wasn't letting me send the whole folder. I needed to condense the folder to a zip file. I had no idea how to do that and my friend who I was sending the file to was attempting to explain how to do it, but he was just all wrong. So, i googled how to create a zip file and in seconds my problem was solved. When I sent the file to my friend he told me jokingly that I was a genius, to which I responded, no google is. Nearly all answers can be found on google and that definitely makes it addictive by Caplan's standards!
Hi Jenny. I enjoyed reading your blog about Google. I also believe that Google is one of the most useful websites on the Internet. Before reading your blog, I did not recognize Google as being “addicting.” I can definitely see how someone can develop problematic Internet use from Googling. Caplan’s model can defiantly be applied to Googling. Caplan’s model can apply to Google in the following way: if someone is uncomfortable going to the library to do research and having to physically interact with others, they can research on Google without any physical interaction with anyone. This, in turn, increases their problems of not being able to physically interact with others.
Hey Jenny,
So I am definitely going to sound like a broken record here but I am definitely addicted to google. I remember the days where I would bounce around between altavista and askjeeves (wow, can't believe I still remember those!) but today, if google does not have what I am looking for, I simply don't believe it exists. It definitely leads to problematic internet use and I find myself getting really excited when they change the font or graphics to the "google" on the homepage. You know you are addicted when you notice those small things. And what's worse is that you know when its a problem when you get excited about those small things! I wonder, however, is if we are addicted to google or just the search engine itself? Do you think that if another search engine came around that was better and faster, we would betray our loyal google?
Nice post! I enjoyed reading it. It's funny because I would never have considered google as a source of problematic internet use. I must admit that I am addicted to using google to look up everything. Before google, I used yahoo and geocities to find things, but since google came about, it is the only search engine I use. I even have the google toolbar at the top of my firefox for convenience.
Your blog relates to Caplan's model well in that individuals can find a source of information without having to step into the library or ask others. Even today while I'm reading for one of my classes, whenever I came across a topic I was confused about, I immediately looked it up on google. Not only am I addicted to the search engine google provides, but also I love google maps. I always use it to look up directions and I love how it can show you real life images.
A very nice counter-example of Google's "do no evil" policy. People are just lazy. They want the quickest way to get information. As the Internet becomes more accessible, people are going to put less effort into remembering things, since they can always hop on google and search for it. Heck, even consider google calendar. Why remember my dates and appointments when you can look it up anywhere? By aggregating information, Google gives the user too much power. Many users are going to think Google is the answer to everything. It's not and this misconception is what leads to problematic internet usage.
Hey Jenny! I thought Google was a really interesting example of an Internet activity that can lead to problematic use. It's easy to see how activities like online gambling or pornography can lead to problematic use, but information can be just as dangerous. Especially with as many programs as Google is now offering, and its accumulation of Youtube, the search engine is becoming more powerful than ever. Once again, really great post!
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