10: EverQuest

I was at a complete loss as I began playing EverQuest as a newbie by the name of Sinkaba. Cool name I thought as I tried to find my way around the game. I was a frog-like human, with lots of strength and intelligence. I was able to pick what character I portrayed, and this took me a while to decide. For this whole experience, I wanted to be sure I picked the "best" character. After much thought, I decided to just go with the "muscle-frog" (I forget what it was called on the game), and be as far from human-looking as possible. The frog was powerful looking and not the most attractive thing out there, which is half the reason why I picked him. I wanted to see if i would feel less superior to all the more attractive and human-like characters I was playing against. I don't know if I played the game wrong, or what, but for some reason I did not come across as many people as I thought I would. There was a very attractive character who first greeted me, and I did not notice myself feeling intimidated at all. I was a little overwhelmed just because there was SO much going on, and so many missions to accomplish, and so many hints and conversations to read. But after a little while, everything seemed not as new and I began settling into the game. I actually began feeling cool about being the frog character. Yee and Bailenson's (2007)article about Proteus Effect caused me to approach and think about online gaming in a whole different way. Yee and Bailenson define Proteus Effect as the way an "individual behavior conforms to their digital self representation independent of how others perceive them". In their experiment, they found that height did matter, and people who were taller ended up being more confident. Also, the more attractive the character was/is, the more intimate they become with others and the more they self disclose to these perfect strangers. Since I was not a human being, I think my time in this online space was less associated with Yee and Bailenson's hypothesises. The conclusions they came to made perfect sense, but unfortunately, they did not apply to me. I think since I am not a regular online gamer, I do not let myself get caught up or attached to the people I meet or how I portray myself within this game. I can understand if gaming was my life I would take more time with my comments and make sure I was putting my best foot forward, but for this exercise, I just went in and played, without giving it much thought.

Assignment 9: WoW the Temptation is Too Much!

Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, popularly known as WoW, is the world’s largest Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG). The game is set in a Worldcraft universe full of adventure and lurking danger where the player has the choice of ten races and nine classes to choose from and countless quests to partake in. The interact-ability of WoW also allows for a strong sense of community and encourages “in game socialization” through adding players to your friends list, searching for people online, and creating groups. Through inventive design WoW allows its characters to express emotions through visible facial changes and bodily language which even furthers the richness of the media. Most importantly, the allure of WoW reaches beyond your typical “gamers,” and encompasses all generations, ethnicities, and professions. WoW has attracted roughly 2 million players from North America and about 8 million players worldwide. What are the social implications of WoW?

People around the world are horrified by the social isolation that MMORPGs such as WoW create. There have been countless stories of varying degrees about internet addiction via online games. Although internet addiction has not been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association there are still Internet Addiction Recovery centers opening around the world, predominately in China where instances, such as the alleged death of a child due to neglect from WoW-addicted parents, are commonplace. One could easily see the connections between World of Warcraft and Problematic Internet Use. According to Davis et. al there are four dimensions that predict problematic internet use:
1) Diminished impulse control
2) Loneliness/Depression
3) Social comfort
4) Distraction/procrastination

These four dimensions highlight the importance of individual differences in forming internet addiction. The appeal of being whoever you want and acting however you want in a fantasy world is too much for most people to give up; yet, coupled with Davis et al’s four dimensions, it can be a harmful combination. People who might not be comfortable in social situations, might find online games, such as WoW, as a more manageable place because they are able to maximize social distance and engage in impression management. Also with the stunning graphics, millions of players, and countless quests, it is easy for anyone to use WoW as a distraction mechanism or as a means of procrastination. Akridge, a reformed Warcraft addict who cut his playing down to a few hours four times a week from fifty hours a week, believes that “people can get addicted to the feeling generated by playing the game but he maintains that most people simply need to exercise self-control” (Chicago Tribune, Nov. 30, 2006). Although it is unclear which one of the dimensions drove Akridge’s initial problematic internet use, this story illustrates that although the psychological space, or WoW in this case, may be highly captivating it is instead the individual differences that causes someone to become addicted to them.

Let us take another example, this time with loneliness/depression and social comfort being the main instigator of internet addiction. In this case, Shawn Wolley became addicted to another MMORPG, Everquest, at 21 years old he was depressed and totaling about 12 hours a day of game play. Without the opportunity for psychological help (psychiatrists shunned the idea of problematic internet use), Shawn Wolley shot himself in the head not long after he had lost his job and been evicted from his apartment. What was the experience that tipped the scale for Wolley? It was speculated that his inability to cope with the real world peaked when a character that he had fallen in love with online, rejected him in real life (Chicago Tribune, Nov. 30, 2006). Doctors believe that social isolation and personality change were side effects of his “mental deterioration.” This tragic story demonstrates how individual differences are a major factor in problematic internet use, the psychological problems that Wolley was experiencing were too strong for him to overcome his internet addiction with moderate help such as Akridge.
Caplan’s Theory of Problematic Internet use and Psychosocial Well-Being can be applied to Wolley’s case and problematic internet use as it pertains to WoW. Caplan states that:
1) Individuals with psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence
2) These individuals prefer online interactions because it is less threatening and they feel more efficacious
3) Preference for online interaction leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then worsens their problems at school, home work

Professor Hancock used the diagram below to explain Caplan’s theory:

Especially with the Wolley case, it is easy to see how someone could fall into this cycle. But let us make up an example, say there is a man name Bill who is performing poorly in his new management position at his firm. After a days of ego-degrading insults about his incompetence at work, Bill begins to feel bad about himself and his social competence. One day, his friend gives him the free 30-day WoW trial. Instantly, Bill is ensnared, he creates a physically attractive human avatar with magical powers and embarks on his fantasy world where he meets new people and is constantly positively reinforced by his completed quests online. Eventually, he becomes so adept that he becomes the leader of his own adventurer group. Meanwhile his performance at work is getting worse due to his lack of sleep and motivation. His feelings of incompetence at work only strengthens his motivation to delve back into the mystical world of Warcraft. I think you get the point—it is a vicious cycle.

Now, can we attribute the problematic internet use to the unique attributes of WoW (interactive avatars in a social and competitive online psychological place) or do we look into the individual? I believe that individual psychosocial problems, such as loneliness and depression, are a stronger indicator of addiction then the online game itself. Out of millions of users, how many people are addicted? If it were the unique attributes of the psychological space that lead people to problematic internet usage then there would be 8 million people world wide that would be completely incapable of real-world social interaction, and this is not the case.

Facebook: The Gift and the Curse

When I think about an online activity which would reflect the notion of "Problematic Internet Use" (PIU), Facebook appears to rear its devilish little head. Since the advent of this social networking tool, Facebook has undergone a wealth of platform changes. The once simple wall posts, poking, and message sending has evolved to include the "Super Wall", News Feed, Video Application, Games, "iMusic". It seems like we're not in Kansas anymore. With each day that passes, when a Facebook user logins into their account, they are more often than not greeted with a new snazzy update. Thus, it comes as no surprise that college students everywhere cite "Facebooking" as the number one study time killer. I think that based on the current trends of Facebook usage, ultimately, Facebook has the potential to lead many individuals to have negative consequences in not only their academic career, but also their professional and social ones.

According to Caplan’s theory of "Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-being" (2004) , he cites three major components that ultimately become a continuous trend that is largely cyclic in nature:

1) Individuals who have psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence.
2) Such individuals opt toward online interaction because the perceive it as less threatening and they feel more efficacious.
3) Such a preference for online interaction leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then makes their problems (whether at school, work, or home) worse off.

The appeal of Facebook to the average user is the freedom it gives to individuals to portray themselves in whatever way they want. Facebook serves to facilitate this process. With respect to the freedom it gives users to decide what sort of information they want to share (i.e. their interests, relationship status, etc.) as well as pictures (with the ability to untag and/or only allow certain individuals whom you decide to view your pictures) and wall posts. For a person with psychosocial problems the aforementioned environment is ideal. In a sense, they feel less threatened within such an online space because they are in complete control. Such, control without fear of negative outcomes has the potential to lead to excessive and compulsive use of the Facebook network. As Caplan argues, such compulsion can trickle its way into other aspects of these individual's lives.

Assignment 9 - Where I again speak from personal experience.

Livejournal-based roleplaying (RP) games enjoy a certain degree of popularity. In particular, the multi-fandom games typically have a large player-base considering the pool of characters to choose from is practically endless, and more people means a deeper well of creativity. You pick a character from any television series, game, or movie, apply, and if accepted you proceed to interact with any number of personalities from a diverse range of media under the guise of that character. It's not unusual for a single person to play five or more characters from completely unrelated genres. Due to Livejournal's blog-like interface, roleplaying in this space is primarily text-based save for the inclusion of "icons" or avatars which can be used to represent each character's facial expression and mood. Since most games set a minimum activity requirement (five posts a week, for example, not including the responses to said posts), RPing can get more than a little time and energy-consuming, especially if the game in question is incredibly large.

Caplan (2004) defines Problematic Internet Use (PIU) as "maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving Internet use that result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences." This breaks down further into the individual's perception of their Internet use; 'excessive use' is a quantitative assessment of how much of their use exceeds the normal or planned amount of time, and 'compulsive use' which is a general inability to control the amount of time spent on line coupled with guilt about their lack of control. Those involved in these roleplays often note how "obsessed" they are with the proceedings, sometimes continuously refreshing pages in the hopes of a response, and that this level of activity usually extends far beyond the amount of time they plan to devote to online endeavors. Most roleplayers in this context are students, so their grades often drop, they fail to maintain social obligations and generally get very little accomplished outside of the RP itself.

Caplan's theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-Being (2004) presents a set of conditions under which PIU may develop. To begin, the term psychosocial is taken from Erickson's Stages of Psychosocial Development (1950), and merely refers to an individual's psychological development occurring inside and in interaction with a particular social environment. Caplan's conditions are as follows:

1. individuals with psychosocial problems have a negative view of their own social competence (i.e. shyness, passivity, inability to "connect" with others)

2. therefore, they come to prefer online interaction over Face-to-Face communication because it's considered less threatening and more effective in terms of what aspects of themselves they wish to present (if at all).

3. If 1 and 2 are true, this leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then worsens their situation at work, school, romantically, etc.

The unique affordance of roleplay is not only is there social interaction with a minimal amount of obligations, but there is a literal, mutual deception occurring here since the point is to be someone/something else. A lack of confidence in one's own social abilities and subsequent apprehension over approaching others is immaterial in this space since the players' limitations in that area do not affect the game. Friendships develop more easily since this factor is removed and there is a mutual point of interest (this relates to McKenna's Relationship Facilitation Factors, discussed earlier in the course). The individual will gradually spend more and more time online as these interactions replace their day-to-day offline social relationships, negatively impacting their situation even more. Roleplaying then becomes even more inviting as a source of comfort. The cycle continues.

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Assignment #9 “Youtubeaholism”

“It is a disease that has taken over not only our nation but the entire world. This disease is called Youtubeaholism” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBRBGd2Z5QQ). Youtube is an asynchronous video sharing website in which users can share, upload, and view a wide variety of video clips. It also has a feedback feature that allows users to post responses to videos. Many users spend a great amount of time making a clip, commenting on other clips, making a new clip as a response to a recently posted clip, and then waiting for feedback. It has become an everyday part of users' lives that people have gone into depression when a favorite youtube performer ceases putting up videos. As many of users themselves point out on their video clip posted on youtube, too much of it can lead to problematic internet use (PIU).

PIU is a “problematic behavior related to too much time online,” which leads to negative academic, professional, and social consequences. Two characteristics associated with PIU is excessive use (quantity of time perceived by the participant to exceed normal time online) and compulsive use (inability to control one’s online activity along with guilt of lack of control).

Youtube is a psychological space that could lead to PIU due to a mixture of internet properties and individual differences. According to Wallace, one factor is the locus of control (the amount of control one perceives to have). On youtube users have complete control over their self-presentation. This power is amplified because it does not cost one anything to use youtube (affordability) and one can access youtube 24 hours a day. Another internet property that is a key ingredient in PIU is maintenance of virtual presence. Users have to constantly manage their online self-presentation by posting up new videos because if you want your name to be known you have to be consistently active. Wallace also mentions operant conditioning which makes a behavior difficult to extinguish due to the variable reward schedule. Because youtube is asynchronous, this factor does not apply because unlike synchronous chats, rewards are delayed (ex. Responses to videos).

The Theory of Problematic Use and Psychosocial Well-Being suggest that psychosocial issues may also lead to PIU. Caplan proposes that lonely and depressed who hold negative perceptions about their social competence prefer internet interactions because it is less threatening and more efficacious, which, in turn, leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then only worsens their problem. In terms of youtube, those who are lonely/ depressed may rely on it for social interactions that they feel they cannot get ftf. Although youtube is asynchronous and the purpose of it is not for direct social interaction, people may develop relationships and networks through youtube, which can begin to replace ftf relations. This preference for youtube will then cause users to constantly check their ratings and post even more videoblogs, which will then make them even more depressed and lonely because having a top rated video cannot remedy the loneliness they feel outside of youtube.

A unique property that youtube has is that the rewards received from posting an original video are not perceived but real. Knowing that many veterans have moved to sign actual contracts increases the perceived benefits of constantly going on youtube, which is ironic because it is the “addiction” that led to success.

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Comm 245 Blue: Facebook: The Gift and the Curse
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Comm 245 Blue

“Did I get email? When’s the last time I checked? Did anybody write me a Facebook message? I wonder if my order was shipped yet? Has anybody written on my Myspace wall? Has ______ emailed me back yet? I still have to confirm plans with ______ for Friday. Did I get any new emails in the last couple of minutes?”

This might be the thought process of somebody suffering from PIU or Problematic Internet Usage from the addictive activity of email checking. There is a certain thrill, for some people, of receiving email—it means that you are popular and loved by others, especially now that facebook and myspace email all of its new notifications to one’s email account, thereby linking the two addicting behaviors. Receiving email also means that you are important in today’s attempting-to-be-paperless world because email is such a common form of communication.

PIU can usually be indicated by two factors: 1) internet usage is so high that daily life is always interfered (for example relationships, work, schoolwork, etc.), and 2) the addicted user is addicted and cannot stop performing this behavior easily. People tend to become addicted because of the concept that once they check their email, and they see X amount of new messages, this is a reward and they want to be rewarded more and more often, so they check their email more and more often, hoping for just another email.

PIU from email checking can interfere with daily life because it can affect academic or occupational performance. If I spend all of my time checking email, perhaps as a form of procrastination, I will not be able to finish all of my homework in a flowing manner, and I would keep pushing it off until I just checked my email one more time. It creates an inefficiency of productivity because of all of these email checking interruptions. It’s not that people spend hours checking their email (unless they read all of their spam mail, too), it’s the fact that people are compulsive about checking their email. Addicted email checkers lack control of their strong desire to check their email, but they probably will not spend longer than they had planned (unless they had a huge paper due the next day, and they really did not want to write their paper…).

The same factors as Caplan’s model probably do not directly apply to the PIU of email checking because addictive email checkers are not usually depressed or lonely; they could be, but not necessarily. Caplan’s model doesn’t really apply because the online interaction of email checking probably isn’t the same as the online interaction as playing in a MUD or chatting on AIM. What creates this difference—the fact that email is not a synchronous form of communication. Email checkers may hold negative perceptions about their social competence, therefore choosing email as their sole form of communication and these individuals might prefer “online interaction” because it’s less threatening (I don’t think they can feel more efficacious because an email is usually attached to one person), and this preference for online interaction could lead to compulsive online interaction thereby worsening their problems. Caplan’s model could apply to this email checking PIU but not as much as a person with a different PIU (say, MUD). It’s also hard to say that Caplan’s model would apply because the “interaction” of email is not as constant as communication in a synchronous online space.

Email is becoming an extremely popular form of communication because it’s convenient to communicate with people all over the world and country using this space, and at the same time keeping the formality of a business letter sent through mail is possible. With email we are able to replace the mail system—people can still write informal, personal letters, and businesses can still communicate professionally if needed; we even get junk mail or spam that we can have the pleasure of discarding without reading. Email is also allowing the world to become paperless; banking can be done completely online nowadays, and this saves people time from having to run to the bank or make a phone call only to be kept waiting for 10 minutes before speaking to a representative. Email is unique because it can be personalized to be kept as a formal email, or written to your best friend. It’s a convenient form of communication with everybody (you surely don’t want to give out your screen-name or personal cell phone number to businesses/interviewers/etc.). It allows for the best of both worlds—as long as one doesn’t become a depressed, compulsive email checker.

9 Is your son a computer hacker?

A hacker is someone who uses a computer to gain unauthorized access to data. Hackers have no ethics, no morals, and no respect for the law or their fellow man. Hackers are damned to an eternity in hell.

Unfortunately, the youth of today are increasingly dabbling in this life of crime. So how do you know if your son is a computer hacker? Dr. Reginald Gibbons provides an informative guide:

• Has your son asked you to change ISPs? "Most American families use trusted and responsible Internet Service Providers, such as AOL. These providers have a strict "No Hacking" policy, and take careful measures to ensure that your internet experience is enjoyable, educational and above all legal. If your child is becoming a hacker, one of his first steps will be to request a change to a more hacker friendly provider."


• Are you finding programs on your computer that you don't remember installing? "Popular hacker software includes 'Comet Cursor', 'Bonzi Buddy' and 'Flash'."


• Has your child asked for new hardware? "If your son has requested a new "processor" from a company called "AMD", this is genuine cause for alarm."


• Does your child read hacking manuals? "A few titles to be on the lookout for are: "Snow Crash" and "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson; "Neuromancer" by William Gibson; "Programming with Perl" by Timothy O'Reilly; "Geeks" by Jon Katz; "The Hacker Crackdown" by Bruce Sterling; "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland; "Hackers" by Steven Levy; and "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S. Raymond."


• How much time does your child spend using the computer each day? "If your son spends more than thirty minutes each day on the computer, he may be using it to DOS other peoples sites."

I'd recommend reading the full article to better recognize the warning signs. It's important to sharpen your senses since the psychological spaces frequented by hackers (such as IRC) often lead to problematic Internet usage.

Many of Caplan's Internet affordances play a role in encouraging these young anarchists

• Greater anonymity -- Does your child use a password to protect his email? If so, what is he hiding from you? These young anarchists use anonymity to cover their tracks.


• Greater control over self-presentation -- Does your child use services such as Facebook or MySpace? If so, you have already failed at being a parent.


• Less perceived social risk -- Peer group is the biggest mediating variable on behavior. If your kid's best friend is named AcidBurnz, your kid is going to prison.


• Less social responsibility -- This really goes without saying.

These affordances appeal to youth precisely because of their psychosocial problems and negative perceptions about their social competence. This leads them to prefer online interaction, which leads to problematic and often criminal Internet usage.

The model of Davis, Flett, and Besser also provides an excellent model for understanding these troubled youth. The typical child-hacker almost certainly faces diminished impulse control, depression, and lack of social comfort. If your child displays any of the tendencies above, they are almost certainly violating some form of international law and unless immediate intervention is taken this may devolve into a life of crime.

Is there a problem with lack of internet use?

If there is such thing as not being online enough or a problem called lack of internet use rather than problem internet use, I just may have it. After coming to Cornell last year I found myself continually online chatting with friends back home from Canada on MSN messenger and wasting massive amounts of my time in pointless conversations, not only did I see my marks suffer but also my health. I was continually tired and found myself getting sick at times and I rarely ever have these problems. While Caplan sees internet use as either an obsessive or a compulsive problem, I definitely fell under the obsessive as I found myself being online way longer than I had planned on a consistent basis. I do not consider my use to have been compulsive because I never seemed to feel guilty about it.
The problem that I had was obviously minor compared to a gambling addiction for example but it was becoming a problem in my life because it was interfering with more important things that I needed to worry about, such as school. Believe it or not I did not have facebook before I came to Cornell… yeah pretty lame. Rather than discontinuing chatting with my friends online I just changed the method that I was using. By using an asynchronous method I was able to leave shorter messages and not get into long conversations with people. I stopped using MSN messenger almost all together. Now I barely have a reason to go online and it is actually kind of nice I will go on to check my email, facebook, or the scores of all the hockey games played the previous night from time to time but I do not feel that I am missing out on something just because I am not online.
I would say that Wallace would agree with me in that I have an internal locus of control, meaning that I have control over my life. I go online when I need to. I rarely ever spend time online surfing or chatting because there is really no satisfaction for me in doing that. I decide when and how long I will be online and I never think about how long I will be because it is not an issue.

A9 – Surfing the Wikipedia Wave

American Gangster was a cool movie, I'll go read about it on Wikipedia. Oh, it's based on a real story, let me check out Frank Lucas' article. Hmm, I don't know too much about heroin, I'll read that. Seems it's an opiate. Whoa, wars were fought over opium between China and England. It seems as if the Chinese Empire wanted to outlaw opium imports. The Qing dynasty were ruling at the time. In 1912 that gave way to the Republic of China. And now it's 10 PM and I've missed dinner, great.

This may have happened to you before; you come across an unrelenting wave of information that must be tamed, read and learned. Urban Dictionary would describe the process as a Wikipedian Loop, a deadly loop of addiction that only ends when your computer crashes due to the number of pages open.

Wikipedia surfing or general Internet information surfing is not normally thought of as problematic Internet use (PIU) in the same vein as online gambling, and massively multiplayer games. However, I've talked with enough people both in real life and online to know that people do let their thirst for knowledge get the better of them on occasion. But isn't that a good thing? After all, learning must be better than wasting away time playing games. Not necessarily so. While I may have learned a little something about the effects of heroin or the Opium Wars, the general knowledge gained does not always return its value. How will that heroin information answer question 3 on my ECE exams? In addition, for my example, I've missed dinner and got a late start on my homework. While not a dramatic effect on my life, it is a typical one, that when repeated could add up. So what drives people to downloading page after page of an encyclopedia?

Natural human curiosity seems to be a clear target for responsibility. Humans are inquisitive, which drives them to learn. Encyclopedias are excellent sources (I acknowledge Wikipedia does have its faults here) of knowledge that can help satisfy that drive. With this in mind why do people not sit down and read the Britannica or head over to the library? The online space here, especially the space of Wikipedia, can help explain. The ease of use and more importantly easy access to inordinate amounts of information seems to make people use Wikipedia first and foremost. Would one rather click a button on a hyperlink or ask a librarian for help in finding “some book?”

So people would seem likely to first choose Wikipedia for ease of use and access, but would anything other than sheer intellectual curiosity lead to PIU? This is where the style of Wikipedia articles, somewhat alluded to in the beginning paragraph, helps to explain the PIU potential. Anything remotely meaningful in an article is linked to its own article. In essence, articles flow into one another without end or impedance. There is no need to turn a page or look up another book, one click and it is there.

In addition to this simple flow aspect, B.F. Skinner's reinforcement schemes can also be applied, further strengthening the draw. For one, there is the continuous ratio reinforcement (a special case of the fixed ratio reinforcement where reinforcement occurs after every response.) Every article contains links to more information. However the real catch is a variable ratio reinforcement scheme. Every now and then, one comes across an article that is really interesting, going above base curiosity, that is read from beginning to end. As we learned, a variable ratio reinforcement is particularly powerful in generating the highest response rates and resistance to breaking the habit. Skinner's reinforcement schedules help to explain why people may continue despite other needs. It also shows that the unique properties of Wikipedia in relation to the traditional paper encyclopedia and libraries are responsible and how they are responsible for potential PIU.

As long as vaguely interesting articles come up with the occasional diamond, it is easy to understand how hours float by and it's now 1 AM and there is still work to do. Hmm, I think I'll read about diamond first.

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8. “Ayurveda – Really Old Indian Medicine”

Ayurveda, or Ayurvedic medicine, is a form of health care originally established in ancient India. Today, this system of health care is used by millions in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India, and indirectly through its influence on Chinese, Unani, and Tibetan Medicine. Ayurveda is a holistic form of medicine, meaning that it involves treatment of the body as a whole rather than its parts, and calls for healthy living as well as physical, mental, social, and spiritual harmony. I thought that such an all-encompassing form of medicine, one that borders on being a way of life, would be a fascinating subject of study for this assignment.

% inter-rater reliability			100
			frequency	% of msgs
Information			19	0.95
Tangible assistance			6	0.3
Esteem support			0	0
Network support			3	0.15
Emotional support			0	0
Humor			1	0.05

As a note, I was sick last week and therefore did not get a chance to work with a partner on this assignment, so inter-rater reliability will be at 100% for this observation.

I observed alt.health.ayurveda on Google groups, and as you can see, received some interesting results. During my appraisal of these messages, I realized that this group was mainly a forum of exchange of information on how to maintain a lifestyle that uses ayurvedic medicine. Everything from meditation, medicine, dieting, and sexual activity was addressed in these posts (one proponent of Ayurveda recommended that people have sex everyday). 95% of the messages were thus coded as information (advice, referral, teaching, situation appraisal), a rather high number in comparison with Braithwaite’s results of 31.3% information when observing a disability social support group. This high percentage is feasible because the Ayurveda group serves more as a hub of information for a unique, holistic medicinal practice. The Ayurveda group’s span of influence on all factors of livelihood makes it more of an influence on general well-being rather than a support system during times of distress when one is disabled. Other groups that specialize in supporting those who have experienced trauma or suffer a terminal illness will find more emotional support in within their groups. This is the major reason that I found zero messages for esteem (compliment, validation, relief of blame) and emotional support (relationship, empathy, encouragement, etc.) – the Ayurveda group was too general and not necessarily oriented towards tragic occurrences in the lives of those who practiced it.

An interesting aspect of my observation was that tangible assistance (loans, help with performing direct/indirect tasks, etc.) was found in 30% of the messages, which is vastly larger than Braithewaite’s findings of 2.7%. Network support (access, presence, companions) for this ancient medicinal practice was also at 15%, more than half of Braithewaite’s findings of 7.1% for the disability group. My Google group featured a convention people could attend in London on Ayurveda, a description of a distance-learning based program Ayurveda practitioners could take advantage of, and several ads for Ayurveda medicine and other products. These messages are important in providing services and networking for a specialized and esoteric form of medicine. Groups for things like disabilities or obesity are not necessarily as esoteric in any region of the world, since disabled and overweight individuals are to be found in all countries. The perpetuation of Ayurveda outside Asia would require more of an effort and dissemination of information in a region where the practice is less known. Humor was used in one message, which makes sense since this group is heavily based on sending people real information on treatment rather than emotional support.

Walther’s factors of interaction management and access play an important role in this online group. Users can edit their posts to their liking until they deem it credible and helpful to others who may read it. Access is also important because the availability of such a group 24/7 allows people in any country with a computer, i.e. London, Sri Lanka, the US, to read and post information about the medicine at a comfortable hour. (It also allows COMM245 students to do their homework at 4am in New York!)

Major differences exist between my findings for messages from the Ayurvedic group on Google and Braithewaite’s findings for messages from a disability social support group. These disparities can be explained, however, from an examination of the true nature of each kind of group – one is mostly information based, while the other provides more emotional support through times of distress.

Links to posts, messages were recorded from Oct. 22 and older. Messages not pertaining to Ayurveda or not in English were not included:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.health.ayurveda/topics?start=0&sa=N
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.health.ayurveda/topics?start=10&sa=N
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.health.ayurveda/topics?start=20&sa=N

9: Efficient ways to waste time - mindless but captivating websites

Take a look at the following websites containing only the finest, intellectually stimulating material:

lalalaa.com
http://www.virtual-bubblewrap.com/popnow.shtml
www.leekspin.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXtRTCLIkhM

I sincerely hope for your sake that you were not expecting the latest report on Presidential Candidates, or the discovery of a cure for multiple sclerosis. These websites all have one thing in common: they are purposeless, except for their entertainment value and their temptation to help you procrastinate. (YouTube video is an exception, however the content of the particular video goes along with this idea). Websites that waste time, and have no social and/or economic value to the individual that visits them, are a potential cause of PIU. Problematic Internet Use is defined by Wallace as problematic behavior related to too much time online. The online psychological spaces of “Websites that Waste Time” are a potential cause of PIU because of that – they give people a reason to avoid their homework from professors or tasks designated by their boss. Such sites also provide stimulation, engagement, and entertainment without having to interact with other people face to face. These factors appeal to the four dimensions of PIU devised by Davis, Flett, and Besser (2002), which are (1) diminished impulse control (a website like the bubblewrap site provides easy and quick stimulation during an impulse to go online); (2) loneliness/depression; (3) social comfort (#s 2 and 3 can be mitigated temporarily by laughter elicited from checking out lalalaa.com); and (4) distraction/procrastination.

In light of Caplan’s study in 2004, excessive and compulsive use of the internet when viewing these sites can result in a frightening case of PIU. I would imagine that all of you have at least one friend who views useless websites a bit too much for his/her own good. Before tv-links.co.uk was taken down, many may have spent hours wasting time watching television show streams on their computers, resulting in negative academic, professional, and social consequences in their lives (the degree to which this may have occurred varies by person, of course). To the extent that people have negative self-perceptions of their social competence, they can be lured by the beautiful voice of a Japanese cartoon character on leekspin.com to help them forget about their loneliness. A two-dimensional character on a computer screen is certainly non-threatening, providing 100% entertainment and 0% judgement, giving an internet surfer a feeling of efficacy in a medium where they can’t screw up. The ultimate preference for online interaction with “websites that waste time” can detract from their attention in school and work, and can even result in their neglecting what minimal and sad social relationships they have in real life. A user’s neglect of real life problems through an excessively greedy use of the internet is transformed into even lower self-confidence, creating a sort of positive feedback between over-usage of the internet and low self-esteem.

These “websites that waste time” do not fold up and fit neatly into the box that is Caplan’s model of PIU, however. Different aspects of the Affordances of Internet Interaction do not apply to these special places on the internet. Since our wasteful sites offer no means of social interaction with others, anonymity, control over self-presentation, and self-disclosure do not play a role in the ultimate preference for going online. Less social risk and responsibility are present, as mentioned before. The Holly Dolly Horse (at least that’s the animal I believe it to be) from the fourth link above will never reject you, and will continue to provide happy scat and improvisational singing until you’re ready to move on.

Some unique aspects of these wonderful websites is that they can be interactive – nowhere else on the internet can you pop bubblewrap except at the official Bubblewrap website (not even Facebook!). The main aspect of these sites is their comedic value – they provide viewers with G-rated entertainment that you don’t find too much of in porn or gambling. Although social interaction is lacking in this web space, “websites that waste your time” can be stimulating and addicting to those who do not handle them properly.

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9. Well at least my addiction pays well...

I have always known myself to be an addict of the internet. Ever since I first connected to AOL instant messenger on a 28k modem to talk to the one other kid I knew with AOL in third grade, I've always been online more than is good for me. Until recently, this hasn't been too problematic. I knew I could be doing other things with my time, but I was an effective time manager, and there were no negative effects. Recently, however, I've begun to invest money in the stock market. While I've made some MAD MONEY, my addiction to the internet has gone from bad to worse. I probably lose more money on my cell's data plan than to capital gains, because I just simply can't go anywhere with out being in the know. From the readings, I now have an understand of why I'm so obsessed. Has it helped me? No. Not at all...

Caplan breaks internet addiction into two categories. Excessive and Compulsive. Excessive use is categorized by using the internet for longer than planned or is considered "normal". Compulsive use is categorized by being unable to control internet use, which results in guilt. I totally fall into both of these PIU (problematic internet use) symptoms. I need to be online, and spend time in class checking my portfolio. At the same time, I'll check stocks walking from class to class on my phone. I just need to know all the time, and I feel guilty because I know I should be doing other things.

To add insult to injury, psychosocial and internet affordances also contribute to my addiction. Caplan explains that because social interactions in online spaces are more anonymous, controllable, and have lower social risk, they are more attractive and act like a vicious cycle. Now this doesn't apply perfectly to my case, because it's not hurting my social life in the real world, and most of my addiction is just getting information. I wind up posting comments online about stock speculation that I would never make in the real world because, when I'm anonymous, there's no risk that someone could judge my intelligence. Theoretically though, Caplan would suggest that I could end up getting my feelings hurt in real life, turning to these stock forums for comfort, getting worse at speaking in public, and than relying on the forums even more.

Wallace attributes my PIU to an internal locus of control. Locus of control can be internal or external. Internal is the feeling that you have control over your life. External would be if you feel you don't have control over you life. The stock market is a very unstable thing, that leads to feelings of uncertainty. By checking up on it all the time, I get a sense of control, and am thus rewarded. In this sense, you would have to blame me, not the internet, for my addiction. It's my desire for control that leads me to it.

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Assignment 8 - Excessive Myspace Activity

Myspace stalking is an online activity that is often associated with PIU. Davis, Flett and Besser developed the Online Cognitive Scale focusing on individual differences. They found that PIU could be predicted on four dimensions --- diminished impulse control, loneliness/depression, social comfort, and distraction/procrastination. On these four dimensions, I know lots of people, including myself, who engage in Myspace activity on a dangerously PIU-sensitive basis. The most common of the four dimensions that arises would have to be distraction/procrastination. Who doesn't Myspace or Facebook stalk to avoid doing a problem set? The other three dimensions will come into play along with Caplan's Theory of PIU.

Myspace can lead to PIU because it allows you to search others’ profiles and, depending on how much an individual is willing to share, many profiles are quite open. Unlike other social networks like Facebook, Myspace does not limit viewers to only seeing members that belong to their networks. As long as one’s profile isn’t private, his/her profile is fair game for anyone’s viewing pleasure. Also, Myspace posts the last time someone has logged in and lets you know whether someone has read your messages or not. Availability of these pieces of information alone induces the likelihood of stalking because if you know you know that just with the click of a button you can check to see when someone last logged on, you will be inclined to click and click on all your friends pages. If you can see whether someone reads the messages you send them, you are more likely to check your sent messages than you would be if that information was not available.

In light of Caplan’s Theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-Being, Myspace stalking does in fact apply psychosocial and internet affordances. Myspace users have less social responsibility because they are not necessarily required to present themselves in a way that they feel society thinks they should. Also, perceived social risk and greater control over self-presentation come into play because users can basically be anyone they want to be on Myspace: they can choose what information (location, age, sex, interests, and pictures) to disclose, how to present that information and who to present that information to. Greater anonymity and more intense and intimate self disclosure are key as well because people can remain anonymous (choose to make a private profile and choose whose friendship to accept) and in turn be more inclined to be themselves and share information that they normally wouldn’t share with people they already know. Sometimes people choose to interact with people who don’t know them because they feel they won’t be judged. Of course, if someone had all these internet interaction affordances, he/she would be inclined to find a home in an online space in order to let loose and be himself/herself.

In conclusion, Myspace can lead to problematic internet use because of all the information made available on the social network. A particular example of PIU associated Myspace would be stalking someone on Myspace whom you are particularly attached to but feel insecure about your relationship with him or her. This is a psychosocial problem that could lead you to compulsively check one’s last date of logging in, comment wall, pictures, top friends list, and new friends added. Also, people who feel like they can’t be themselves FtF may resort to Myspace to seek people they can talk to or feel comfortable bonding with. This induces PIU because it makes people feel more like themselves online and can lead to excessive internet use which can then lead to more problems FtF.

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Addicted to Texas Hold'Em?

Online poker has become a world-wide phenomenon. Millions of people around the world can sit at a virtual table on any particular gambling site, and play cards for real money. This addiction contains a psychological component, and an ease of access using the internet component. You can play in a tournament with hundreds of other people or play heads-up with a random gambler from across the globe. What makes online gambling such an interesting concept is there is no physical cash or actual poker chips being handled. For some, since the money is all wire-transferred, this makes it seem as if you are not really playing with “real money” sometimes. Also, it is unbelievably easier to access the internet website to gamble than travel to an actual casino. These are clearly major dangers of online gambling addiction.

A large number of people suffer from PIU or problematic internet use. With regards to online gambling, PIU is a relevant term to use when a person’s time on the internet is negatively affecting their life, and this does not just refer to losing money via gambling. Caplan (2004) identifies two types of users who likely suffer from PUI: Excessive users spend an overly-excessive amount of time online; Compulsive users can not control his or her own internet use and experiences guilt as a result. The following can be examples of both types of users: not spending time with friends/family, or feeling the need to log-on to a gambling website while at work or school. Clearly, online gambling addiction can be linked to PUI, and the addiction can have extremely damaging effects on a person’s life.

Caplan’s (2004) major theory of PIU and Psychosocial well-being relates. Some people may feel more comfortable gambling online, because it is not as intimidating as trying to “read” someone’s “poker-face”. The online-enviroment might be construed as a more relaxing environment for some gamblers. In other word’s a person’s individual differences or personal issues might dictate a person’s low-social competence and thus a preference for using the internet which is not a stressful environment for this person. Another perspective along the theory framework is that people with low social competence will compulsively gamble to avoid awkward social interactions with other people in real-life, and instead, prefer to interact with the other gamblers online in somewhat of a social community.

Wallace mentions general factors relating to Internet properties that contribute to PIU. One that is applicable is the maintenance of virtual presence. An addicted gambler will often find a group of others he likes to play with and will get to know these people. This is a similar concept to a friends having a weekley poker game in ftf, except online oftentimes you do not "really" know these people you are playing with. You want to keep your reputation as a player in tact and you want to keep your virtual presence, oftentimes due to personal insecurities (individual differences).

I’ll leave you off with a relevant quote from the movie “Two for the Money” (2005):

"You're a lemon. Like a bad car. There is something... there is something inherently defective in you, and you, and you, and me, and all of us. We're all lemons. We look like everyone else, but what makes us different is our defect. See, most gamblers, when they go to gamble, they go to win. When we go to gamble, we go to lose. Subconsciously. Me, I never feel better than when they're raking the chips away; not bringing them in. And everyone here knows what I'm talking about. Hell, even when we win it's just a matter of time before we give it all back. But when we lose, that's another story. When we lose, and I'm talking about the kind of loss that makes your asshole pucker to the size of a decimal point - you know what I mean - You've just recreated the worst possible nightmare this side of malignant cancer, for the twentieth goddamn time; and you're standing there and you suddenly realise, Hey, I'm still... here. I'm still breathing. I'm still alive. Us lemons, we fuck shit up all the time on purpose. Because we constantly need to remind ourselves we're alive. Gambling's not your problem. It's this fucked up need to feel something. To convince yourself you exist. That's the problem". Source: IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417217/quotes

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Comm 245 Blue: Assignment #9 “Youtubeaholism”
Comm 245 Blue: A9 – Surfing the Wikipedia Wave

Assignment 9 AOL Instant Addicter

Throughout my years of experience on the Internet, there is one activity that I see systematically leading some towards Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Most Internet users have engaged in this activity themselves and have sometimes noticed that it takes up much more of their time than they believe it should. I am speaking about instant messaging, chatting on AOL or AIM, a common activity that has spread in popularity over the years. Users have the ability to chat with their friends in synchronous communication at any time. Everyone can identify with the situation of chatting online when you are supposed to be researching something or completing a homework assignment. All of a sudden it is 2 o’clock in the morning and you either complete the task haphazardly or don’t do it at all. Instant message programs are a perfect place for vulnerable individuals to begin to experience PIU.


The synchronous psychological space of instant message programs is very conducive to PIU. To begin with, users with an internal locus of control will be very attracted to IM. People with an internal locus of control are defined as, “People who felt their own actions were effectual and had a great deal to do with how events came out” (Wallace, 173). With the ability to carefully construct messages and control what information is supplied to others, they have more control over their circumstances, therefore increasing their attraction to IM. Attraction will be furthered through operant conditioning. Having someone IM you is a reward. When someone signs online, they do not know when they will IM’ed or by who. It is this variable schedule of rewards that keeps them attracted, especially in this synchronous space where they can come at any time and in any number. The maintenance of virtual presence factor also comes into play in instant messaging. Users feel as if they have to maintain their online community and avoid missing out on things when not online. This will further their attraction and keep them online longer. Finally, Newbie Disease also has its effect. Most of us were on AOL or AIM constantly when it first came out and have since reduced the amount of time that we spend on IM. Even though this is so, many people who have had a lot of experience with IM continue to overuse it.



Caplan’s Model definitely applies to instant messaging. Many people would be identified as displaying excessive use of IM, exceeding normal or planned time online. Some, however, experience compulsive use, unable to control themselves from chatting on AIM and feeling guilty about it. As far as psychosocial factors are concerned, individuals with psychosocial problems would find Instant Messaging very attractive. Due to their negative perceptions about their social competence, they would find Instant Messaging to be a more comfortable means of communication due to its anonymity and reduced responsibility, subsequently lessening the threat to them. This preference for online interaction through instance messaging would most likely lead to the excessive and compulsive use outcome that Caplan points to, proving to further exacerbate their psychosocial problems as the cycle begins again. Although causation cannot be claimed, Instant Messaging and its synchronous communication capabilities do appear to promote PIU in vulnerable individuals.

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Assignment 9 - Stock Prices and Problematic Internet Usage

An online activity that I believe can lead to Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is the obsessive checking of stock prices. The internet has made it easier than ever for people to trade on the stock market. Trading is now more accessible to even larger amounts of people. Today, stock prices and data are easy accessible in real time (or nearly real time) from many portals on the internet. As a result, many working professionals whose occupations do not include financial services are spending a lot of time searching the stock market world. This, of course, is not a bad thing, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. It is beneficial for the economy for more people to invest. However, if one's professional duties suffer as a result, this could have other negative ramifications. Employers recognize the issue, however, to the extent that many companies have blocked financial services websites from their servers. At many large corporations, for example, a client cannot gain full access to their online accounts on websites such as Fidelity.com, the online home of Fidelity Investments, a private company in the financial services industry.

A couple of the most popular online websites for searching for and tracking stock prices are Google Finance and Yahoo! Finance. These websites update every few seconds when the stock markets are open. A stock holder can sit and watch their stock go up and down, up and down during any given workday when the markets are open. While many investors have personal plans to check their stocks once a day, or once a week, the opportunity to check one's stocks throughout the day is always there. It is when people begin to watch their stocks the whole day that PIU comes into play.

While Caplan's observations about excessive and compulsive internet use align with my example, Caplan's theory of psychosocial well-being does not really. Online investing is not so much a social tool as it is a means for making financial decisions. While there is great anonymity among online investors, online investing is not motivated by one's control over self-presentation online, as compared to many other online activities that could be associated with PIU.


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Say "I" if You Don't Stalk Pictures..

Checking friends’ Facebook photo albums is an online activity that contributes to our propensity to fall prey to Problematic Internet Use. When in need of a distraction from work or something to look at while chatting on the phone, I, along with many others I know, have developed a habit of clicking the “Photos” tab to see if any of our Facebook friends have posted pictures recently. Sometimes the photos we stalk are those of our good friends – other times, they are acquaintances we’re not even sure why we have. Sometimes they are photos of people we know, and sometimes they are photos of people we’d prefer not to. Either way, we stalk – and we like it.

Wallace’s ideas of Locus of Control and Operant Conditioning may explain why photo-stalking may lead to PIU. Firstly, when we are on Facebook, our actions remain un-monitored – there is no evidence of what we’ve done. In addition, we are free to check out anyone’s profiles/pictures that we are friends with, or those of anyone with an open profile. This notion of Locus of Control means that we believe we have control over our circumstances and what we do online is entirely dictated by us. Secondly, Operant Conditioning explains the variability of the photo-stalker’s schedule of “rewards.” We are not always rewarded with exciting pictures to stalk – we are rewarded when we are we enjoy the particular pictures posted and want to look at them over others.

Caplan discusses individuals’ psychosocial problems as a reason for PIU. All of these are not necessarily applicable in the case of Facebook picture-stalking, as there is no actual interaction occurring that is being alleviated for the socially anxious by the online medium. Looking at photos has nothing to do with social competence or FtF confidence. However, this behavior can become compulsive and disruptive. The affordances of internet interaction applicable to this phenomenon are greater anonymity of the stalkers, less perceived social risk as their actions go undetected, and more intense self-disclosure by those who post pictures of themselves.

A unique property of photo-stalking is that it goes on constantly, and it is virtually undetectable. There has not yet been any technology able to track people’s viewing of pictures (like there has been for checking AIM profiles), which makes the hobby all the more secretive, appealing and addicting. There are a host of reasons for looking at others’ pictures, and it has proven to be a habit of the masses.

Assignment 9: Wash, Brush, Floss, Facebook.

Facebook could lead to and is often associated to Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Facebook has so many components to it that lead people to join the network and embark in things like “Super pokes”, Fantasy Stock Exchange, News Feeds, profile updates, posting items, pictures, comments, compliment, games, groups, – you name it, it’s pretty much on there. Ultimately, Facebook could lead some people to have negative consequences in other aspects of life such as academics, professional, and socially.

Caplan’s theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-being (2004) has three major components that become into a continuous cycle from the first – to the last – and back around:

1) Individuals with psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence
2) These individuals prefer online interaction because it is less threatening and they feel more efficacious
3) Preference for online interaction leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then worsens their problems (at school, work, home, etc.)

Within Facebook people can portray him/herself in any way they desire, and have a lot of flexibility to do so. One can write whatever he or she wishes about him/herself and can manage which pictures are kept tagged, as well as which wall posts are kept for people to see. Obviously, there are certain facts people cannot sway away from such as their education information, who their friends are, their pictures (that they kept tagged). But with privacy settings one can keep their profile “non-interactive” so that it is solely what they put it up as – with no wall pictures or posts displayed. Under these circumstances people with psychosocial problems will feel less threatened within this online space and feel safer within it which could ultimately lead to the excessive and compulsive interaction within the Facebook network, and take away time and create more problems for these people in other aspects of their lives.

Another addicting reason why these people may be attracted to the World of Facebook would be to do with “operant conditioning”. Wallace discusses “operant conditioning”, which is when people will act in a certain way when a behaviour is rewarded with a variable schedule, and with this behaviour it is more difficult to get rid of since there is a “reward”. An example of this regarding Facebook would include (like we had discussed in class) wall posts, comments, and messages: where there is no way to know when exactly when you may receive one but you know you will at some point, in which you keep hitting the refresh button on the page. Another major phenomenon that occurred on Facebook that had originally been argued about was the News Feed. Far surpassing from checking wall posts and messages, News Feed offers a new level to “operant conditioning” where people can see everything going on with all their “friends” on Facebook – from breakups, to pictures, to events, to wall posts.

Personally, I will on average check my Facebook daily, as I do my email, because it is a way I correspond to people. But I guess for some it is much more of a compulsive routine: wash, brush, floss, Facebook.

9: (Dys)topia

Internet addiction? Been there. Eight or ten years ago, I walked into the library to find my friend Josh at a computer, clicking sporadically, with a look of intense concentration on his face. The screen was mostly black, with a small box filled with white text. He was playing Utopia, an online game that would soon come to dominate my life for a year.

The premise of Utopia is that you're the ruler of a tiny 200-acre plot of land, or province, in a team ("kingdom") of 20 or so provinces, in a world of thousands of kingdoms. You get to choose how to distribute your resources, what buildings to build, and more importantly how to attack and pilfer provinces from other kingdoms. Nowhere in the entire game is there a graphic--instead, you click "attack" and the next screen either tells you "you won" or "you lost." If you conquer another province in battle, you get some of their land (how this works geographically is never fully explained). Sound fun? Maybe. Addicting? Of course not. What made Utopia such a stubborn and unyielding part of my life was that my province got its new resources (from taxes, etc) every hour of every day. If I ran out of gold or magic, I could just wait an hour. If I forgot about the game for a day, though, I might return to find my province in ruin from attacks I hadn't defended against or retaliated against quickly enough. So, no day passed during my stint as a ruler in which I didn't log on to Utopia at at least three times. Before I left for school, during lunch, as soon as I got home, before dinner, after brushing my teeth: this tremendously compelling game had my 11-year-old self glued to the screen.

Utopia's draw worked in a spiral: you played to win, or at least to become one of the best provinces in your kingdom. But so did everyone else. If you were abandoning your province for days at a time, there was no way you could keep up. And in my opinion, abandoning any semblance of graphics forced players to emphasize the pure numbers that defined their provinces--how many acres, how many honor points, etc. There is no entertainment in playing Utopia every once in a while. The only satisfaction is building up your own province until it's something you can be proud of. That takes time, and I think it's the main reason Utopia led so many of its 40,000 or so players to devote so much of their waking lives to it.

Utopia is a great example of many aspects of Scott Caplan's model. Compulsive use, excessive use, withdrawal, perceived social control--for every marker or problematic internet usage, I can think of four stories from Utopia. I certainly remember my co-players being less than socially apt: it's a fantasy-based setting, which gives players the freedom to pretend to be whoever they want, and what's more, it unites strangers into a team with a goal. No matter how awkward you may be in person, if you're the best attacker in the kingdom, your teammates will listen to you and what you type into the kingdom forum. Although there was some diversity--there were players with lives and wives and jobs and kids--I always had the feeling that my teammates were people that I didn't want to know in real life. I was completely satisfied with being on the same online team as them. And I couldn't be more glad that I stopped playing--who knows how much of my life might have atrophied while I searched for the respect of 40,000 indifferent strangers?

#9 -- eBay

Problematic Internet use, (PIU) is defined as a problematic behavior related to too much time online. According to Caplan any form of internet use can become a problem if there is an excessive use (use exceeds normal, planned amount of time online) and there is a compulsive use (inability to control online activity along with guilt). In today’s post, I will focus on online bidding as a form of PIU.



One of the most popular online bidding websites is eBay. eBay does not actually present its own products but rather acts as a marketplace by facilitating the exchange of goods between members. Wallace lists four important factors of internet use that can lead to PIU: locus of control (the degree to which one believes they have control over their circumstances), operant conditioning (it is harder to extinguish a behavior that is rewarded on a variable schedule than one that is predictable), maintenance of social presence (the degree to which an individual feels compelled to preserve their presence in an online space) and newbie disease (the degree to which attraction to an online space is more intense at first). The two that apply the most to online bidding and can lead to PIU, are locus of control and operant conditioning. First, on eBay, members have complete control (locus is self) over their actions (e.g. price at which good is auctioned). This gives a sense power, which can be very attractive. Second, in online auctions it is hard to predict when new products will be posted, at what price and when the next bidder will offer a price higher than the previous (operant conditioning). Further, bidders usually wait in anticipation to win a product or for their goods to be purchased and are more interested in the game aspect of the process. This can lead to compulsively checking and refreshing of the page.

In his theories, Caplan discusses psychological wellbeing. He states that if an individual with psychological problems holds a negative perception of their social competence, he or she will prefer online interactions as they are less threatening and therefore will make excessive and compulsive use of the Internet. In the case of online auctioning, the theory does not fully apply. On one hand it is not supported by the fact that websites like eBay are asynchronous and do not involve communication between individuals, thus removing any factors related to social comfort. Further, (excessive and compulsive) urges to shop can happen in front of the computer as well as at a mall and thus are not restricted to online settings. On the other hand, to support the theory, the time that one spends bidding online is not spent face to face with friend. Another one of Caplan’s theories discusses affordance of internet interaction. The theory states that greater anonymity, greater control of our self-presentation, more intense and intentional self-disclosure, less perceived social links and less social responsibility lead to PIU. In the case of eBay, members are simply looking to buy and sell, not to form relationship thus the self-presentation, self-disclosure, and social responsibility factors do not apply. It could be said though, that if someone felt ashamed to buy certain products in a regular store, one could purchase them on eBay. In this case, there would be anonymity and less perceived social links as afforded by this Internet interaction.

There are some unique properties to the online auctioning place. First, it creates a place whose sole purpose is to allow people to buy and sell products. Also, although it connects and brings together people with common interests and passions, it does not give them a designated space to develop relationships based on shared hobbies or advice. Instead, it fosters strictly business relationships and private information (e.g. sex, location) are kept secret until the purchase has been made.



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