Understanding External Triggers and Psychological Effects of Electronic Addiction - Free Report

1. Consider what, if any, outside triggers contribute to a person's electronic addiction. They may be physical or mental. Write about what these triggers might be and their effects on a person.

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Digital technology has significantly influenced the way various people within society communicate as well as addiction among both children and adults. However, such electronic addictions are triggered by some external physical or mental factors which will be discussed in the paper.

To begin with, isolation and deprivation often result in negative feelings that are likely to upset the homeostatic balance of an individual. As such, individuals always turn to certain behaviors that cause addictions- electronic addiction is not an exception (Sipal & Bayhan, 2010). The lack of emotional support is likely to trigger such people to turn to the internet as a way of fulfilling their desires. Generally, shy individuals stressed or unhappy are more likely to develop internet addiction (Sipal & Bayhan, 2010).

Research also indicates that overconsumption of drugs such as alcohol is likely to trigger the release of dopamine chemicals from the brain that is likely to alter the mood of an individual. Such mood alteration may result in over-reliance on electronic gadgets such as smartphones as a means of relieving stress (Sipal & Bayhan, 2010). Information addiction could also trigger electronic addiction, especially for individuals with an intense hunger for knowledge. As such, they consider the internet as the most attractive source of information (Sipal & Bayhan, 2010).

2. What are the effects, if any, of students in a classroom texting each other back and forth while in class? Why is this being done? Even when people stand in lines, they text the person standing right next to them. Does this make it easier to communicate? Does it make communication more difficult? Do you feel this is a healthy or unhealthy practice?

Some students often think that they can text each other while at the same time, listening to the lecture. However, this habit has been discovered to reduce the ability of the students to stay focused. According to the National Communication Association report of 2010, such a habit contributes immensely to the poor performance of students in class (Myhra, 2010). Again the in-class texting by students also makes the students take longer to recall information taught in class, thus reducing their ability to perform well in their homework assignments (Junco, 2012).

Low-quality work and less productivity have also been noted as some of the worst effects of in-class texting among students. For instance, research indicates that students who text in class are likely to have a lower GPA compared to those who do not (Myhra, 2010). I think that to create a positive learning environment, both the instructors and the students ought to do their best. As such, I think that stringent policies should be enforced to eliminate texting in class with the sole aim of increasing learning productivity (Myhra, 2010). It is agreeable that when students become sincerely responsible for their education, they will have to realize that texting should be done outside class to improve their academic performance and, thus productivity Junco, 2012).

One of the worst parts of texting is that when people begin texting, they often find it hard to stop. For instance, the more texts a person receives, the more they feel obligated to reply. This creates and maintains a cycle of mobile relationships in which an individual can text the other even though they are close to each other in a line. This pattern, however, could only be healthy when it creates a balanced sense of dependence and connection (Junco, 2012). Otherwise, this behavior could adversely affect the individuals involved, especially when the texting habit bars them from attending to some essential events like meetings and other academic responsibilities (Myhra, 2010). Texting is basically marred with confusion since it could easily be misinterpreted, resulting in anxiety and uncertainties.

Since this communication is often not face-to-face, it could add a psychological distance that permits saying certain words that could be hard to say in person (Myhra, 2010). However, it is essential to note that texting does not give room for the accurate conveyance of emotions and tones, body language, gestures, eye contact, and face-to-face conversation, thus increasing the likelihood of misinterpretation and misunderstanding (Junco, 2012).

Thus, when people intensely rely on text for communication, they are less likely to engage in some meaningful conversation among themselves. It could also have negative impacts on the interpersonal development of the learners and all who are involved (Junco, 2012). Thus, it is logical to talk to friends on the phone or meet them personally to increase interpersonal and communication skills.

Even though texting was designed to enhance easier and quicker terms of communication, it has created a rather damaging impact on real face-to-face interaction such that it could result in misinterpretation of the emotion and purpose of what is being said (Myhra, 2010). The advantages critically outnumber the limitations of texting. People find it hard to speak or carry out conversations because of habitual texting (Junco, 2012).

References

Junco, R. (2012). In-class multitasking and academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(6), 2236-2243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.031

Myhra, J. (2010). Negative effects of texting in the classroom. Retrieved March 8, 2012. http://shscrosbyguard.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/94410980/Negative%20Effects%20Of%20Texting%20In%20The%20Classroom.pdf

Sipal, R. F., & Bayhan, P. (2010). Preferred computer activities during school age: Indicators of internet addiction. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1085-1089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.290