Comparison Essay Example: Winn and Gibson

Introduction

The media is a platform that has been undergoing several changes due to the improvements in technology. Different people spend different amounts of time using the media and end up developing some addiction to it. Despite the fact that there are some forms of media which are beneficial to individuals development and that of the society as a whole, addiction to it is unhealthy as well as unproductive. The focus of this paper is to discuss the types of media that mainly lead to addiction in one way or another. Browsing the internet and watching television are the two examples of media that can lead to addiction and deprive one an engagement in other productive activities.

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Media Addiction

In her article, Winn talks about the addiction of someone to something. She describes that addictions come in various forms and levels, but mainly they happen because of pleasure in doing something. She says that some habits come with an easily accessible return ticket while others do not. According to her point of view, watching television is very addictive and does not have an easy return like reading a book. The addiction is more like drug addiction which when once started it is very hard to discontinue. She says people tend to believe that they have control over television watching and will be able to stop it anytime they want. They spent more and more hours watching thinking that they will resume living differently, but the result is their television being on always. Her main argument is that watching is not able to provide some accomplishment like other activities, and this is why its addicts are unable to stop watching.

According to Gibson, the media has been changing over time. From the past of being mainly utilized for entertainment purpose to the present whereby many things can be done on the internet. Gibson discusses how the World Wide Web has evolved as the years go by; how he once did not see its use since he enjoyed watching into space blankly and wanted to avoid the discomfort of unanswered texts. He later started finding browsing important since one can search information about several things, even about people they have not spoken to in years. Gibson goes ahead to say that the web is a new form of media that is in a progressive growth. It happened without a plan and is still happening and will finally be the most dominating global medium. Gibson main argument is that the web will successfully increase time wastage since people tend to do unimportant things with it instead of working.

The two articles talk about the love of media that leads to sticking to it alone rather that performing other activities. According to the two writers, media cannot be able to give us a chance of satiation since it keeps on changing and new things are being introduced that make individuals want more of the media. Both articles show the process by which a person gets to develop an unstoppable love of a medium because of the pleasure they get from the medium. On the other hand, the two articles differ in the fact that for Winns article the television is the main cause of addiction while for Gibsons it is not the television but the web. Also for the television, it is simply the attraction to it when it is on that lead to the addiction, but for the web, it is the desire to search for some given topics or personalities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is true that several forms of media, almost all are attractive. I think the main reason for this is the fact that they do not involve working hard like other activities. Individuals always enjoy something they are not putting in any effort. The fact that using the media just means sitting or standing in one position without the need for strenuous movement, most people like it. This idea, therefore, makes them spent more hours in it that in any activity that requires effort, hence the addiction.

Works Cited

Gibson, William. "The net is a waste of time." New York Times (1996).

Winn, Marie. Plug-in Drug: Television, Computers, and Family Life. Penguin USA, 2002.