Introduction
The computer as a medium is at the moment in the process of fast development. Computers are fast becoming complex from a design point of view and are quickly spreading into new platforms such as pocket computers and mobile phones. As merely a youth phenomenon, from a cultural point of view computers are hard to ignore and getting more and more visible by the day. And finally from an economic point of view the interest in computers is increasing with increasing global turn over and the industry in general showing rapid growth rates.
This paper will look at computers from an effect perspective, that is, it will look at the potential negative effects of computers on its users, hence we will pose the question; are psychological problems worsened by the use of computers?
It’s hard to answer any question on whether any particular medium has any negative effects on its users as this has been a debatable subject for decades now. Then as by way of introduction it should be said, that as far as computers are concerned there is no unequivocal or clear answer to the question above and the fact of the matter is that various conflicting answers have been provided with time. This paper summarizes and places the theoretical context of the subject on the researches that have already been carried out in general. This is important in order to make clear and known the results of researches that at first glance may appear contradictory.
In public debates, when the issues on the negative potential effect of computers come up, it often takes place in relation to the possible link between harsh computers and the aggressive behavior of the user. Much of the research for this reason has revolved around the effects of computers on its users. This paper however will also include on other aspects surrounding the negative effects of computers, such as deterioration of social relationships and anxiety.
Background
In recent years the volume of research done on computers has risen, within a short time frame various studies have come up, a number of conferences have been organized over and over again including involving the international organizations that deal with computers and computer studies.
It is only to a limited extent however that what we refer to as the mainstream computers is potentially affected negatively. Hence on the wide extent we will concentrate on the larger cultural issues, the aesthetic questions, studies and analyses of computers and the computer’s special characteristics.
According to Calvert (1991, p. 8) Researchers who are not part of the computer community are the ones who in a real sense to deal with the question about the negative effects mainly, mainly those that are in the fields or have a background in psychology or medicine.
As posed in the question stated above we have seen it to be the most popular question on whether computers lead to violent or aggressive behavior in its users. Researchers have been trying to get an answer since the early 1980s.
Literature review
Individuals, studies have revealed who in front of a computer work for a mere five hours in a day run the risk of worsening problems like insomnia, depression and mental illness (Davis, 2001, p. 187). A total of 25,000 individuals used to conduct a study complained of feeling reluctant to get up early in the morning to go to work, feeling anxious and depressed after working for hours seated in front of the computer.
Researchers also noted reports by individuals who had problems agreeing with fellow work mates adding that they were fatigued due to the long computer hours and having disturbed sleep in the night (Griffiths, 2000, p. 212). Researchers and experts are requesting the employers to restrict the time their employees spend on the computers in the workplace after studying the effects over a three year period computers have on a person’s health.
The researchers felt that in order to prevent occurrence of sleep disorders and mental disorders in individuals at the workplace it needs that the workers be restricted to using computers for less than five hours every day. They went on to add that sleep related and mental health symptoms were significantly higher in groups of people who used a computer for more than five hours every day (Griffiths, 2000, p. 212).
In a period of three years research was conducted and the researchers noted the mental health changes in the workers and linked them up with the actual time the workers spent working on the computers (Bandura, 1991, p. 248). The end results showed that at least in every group of four workers one worker spent more than five hours daily on the computer. And once the number in the group went up, then the dangers of psychological disorders were inevitable and more likely to go up.
Most research done in the past was keen on showing only how physical is affected by computers. Sitting at an office desk for hours has been attached to shoulder pains, back pains, eye strains, headaches and repetitive strain injuries.
However, later studies have been able to cite the psychological effects of computers as a result of excessive use of internet and video games.
Internet use
Psychologists in Britain have discovered through evidence the link between depression and excessive usage of the internet through computers just recently. Researchers at the University of Leeds, in the writing of a psychopathology journal stated that a proportion or a small number of users of the internet can be classified as addicts of the internet and the individuals of this group were less likely to be non-addicted users and more likely to be depressed (Kim et al., 2008, p. 212).
The research on the link between depression and too much use of the internet, data put together from respondents on the social networking sites in the UK and a questionnaire based study of adults and young people totaling to 1,319. All these are some (Kim et al., 2008, p. 212) of the studies done by researchers recently where respondents get to answer questions on what they use the internet for and how many hours it would require them to sit at a computer to use the internet.
This plus several researches done proved that most of the people tested were internet addicts thus it required them to sit in front of the computer for long hours on a daily basis. The research also shows that excessive use of the internet is linked with symptoms of depression (Olken, 2007, p. 67). But as observed by Bailey, West and Anderson (2010, p. 35) researchers have not quite discovered what comes first, that is; does the usage of computers to access the internet cause depression or are depressed people drawn to the use of computers to access the internet?
What is obvious though according to Young (1998, P.237) is that for a small group of people too much use of the internet could be a symptom of tendencies that are depressive. The age range of the correspondents of the studies conducted was between 16-51 years of age with the mean age being 21.24. Internet addicts have a moderate to high chance of gaining severe depression in the long run as compared to non-addicts (Cuban, 2001, p. 45).
Previous research has also found out that internet addicts spend most of their proportionate time browsing about online communities, online gaming sites and sexually gratifying websites. Hence the study emphasizes what has already been speculated by the public, and that is the fact that engaging excessively in internet websites that end up replacing the normal functions of socialism may as well be matched to the occurrence of psychological disorders such as addiction and depression in normal individuals. (Caplan and High, 2006, p. 265).
There is a need to establish and elaborate on the wider implications to society the effect of excessive use of the internet has on mental health. The study assists individuals in understanding the relationship between depression and internet addiction.
Video games
So far the biggest and most clearly known research domain involves the effects of video games that are violent on aggression (Anderson and Bushman, 2001, p. 12). The results of longitudinal, Co relational and experimental studies confirm that violence in video games increases aggressive behavior significantly and also the behavior, emotions and thoughts of the user change both in the short term and the long term.
Although the strength of the information has created various opinions, a recent meta-analytical review that was very comprehensive tested the effects of video games that are violent to six different important outcomes that are; pro-social behavior, empathy, physiological arousal, aggressive affect, aggressive cognition and aggressive behavior (Gentile and Wash, 2002, p. 157).
Included in the large samples were unpublished and published studies from both Western and Eastern cultures. In all the outcomes eventually, video games played a big role and had significant outcomes. All in all the researchers found out that exposure to violent video games can be viewed as a casual risk factor for the following:
Aggressive cognition ,effect and behavior: Results from studies that are longitudinal, co relational and experimental prove that excessive use of computers plays a big role in the risk factors for aggression (Anderson and Bushman, 2001, p.13). This effect has been shown in the long term and short term points of views in the various populated areas.
The rise in aggressive emotions and thoughts according to studies is due to the excessive use of computers and this is even in cases where factors involving physiological arousal have been controlled. According to Cordes and Miller (2000, p. 34) excessive usage of computers can; assist in the creation of a hostile kind of biased behavior in an individual, contribute to the prime thoughts that are aggressive, an individual may perceive other people’s behavior as malevolent and the individual may have a positive attitude towards violence.
In the short term usage of computers for long hours may expose the users to feelings of hostility and anger towards people, high and low pro-social behavior and aggressive thoughts. In the long term users of computers can experience the development of an aggressive personality.
Empathy and desensitization: Researchers on another level have discovered that computers reduce an individual’s ability for helping and empathy as well as desensitization of the user to violence (Kim et al., 2008, p. 214). The reduction of emotional and physiological reactivity to violence is what we are referring to as desensitization. Exposure to violent media in the short term has been seen to bring about desensitization that is physiological in a span of twenty minutes so it’s only fair to conclude that excessive use of computers can cause chronic desensitization. The researchers also determine the attachments between computer usage and empathy that is; the level in which an individual commiserates and identifies with a victim.
Attention deficits and cognitive control: The results on the positive effects of the experiences and skills gained from using computers can sometimes be misinterpreted to mean that in general computers are beneficial. However, there is a growing body of evidence that shows an excessive use of computers may actually worsen cognitive control, exacerbate attention problems and may cause many other harmful effects may arise in a user with time (Mirowsky and Ross, 1992, p. 187).
Some studies have discovered a link between computers an attention problems in children, the fast changes in focus and the children’s excitement while using the computers especially when they are playing video games online, may weaken their abilities to maintain their focus on tasks that are less exciting such as their school homework or outdoor activities like playing football hence shortening their attention spans (Subrahamanyam et al., 2000, p. 11).
A study on computer video games and how they cause attention problems showed that children who are addicted to video games spent long hours at a computer screen hence later on or after some time the children showed lesser and lesser abilities of paying attention, in the long term the children’s cognitive controls were affected.
Addiction: There are various studies that are keenly looking at computer addiction. Some researchers find computer addiction to be in some way related to gambling as it contributes to psychological functioning, occupational ways of the user, the users focus on school family and friends (Attewell and Juan, 1999, p. 5).
Just like gambling the use of computers starts merely as a source of entertainment and it only gets to a pathological point for various individuals when a negative life consequence starts popping up. Generally studies that have examined computers almost end up showing how valid and reliable the machines are and that way at the moment computer addiction has not been listed by the American Psychiatric Association, as a formal disorder. Though the Association has added in a new category of addictions for DSM-V addiction like behavioral disorders such as gambling, a lot of research has to be done before psychological problems caused by excessive computer use, can be included.
General criticism
The emphasis on trying to ascertain the relationship between computers and aggression that has been the focal point of research and its main focus is not correct in its essence. Situations where there is evidence of a psychological problem is where critics claim that researchers should mostly focus on, and it is only then that they can make any attempt to quantify the extent by which any link if any to computers in relation to aggression can be formed.
Out of tune with the development of psychology in the modern world, critics argue that the perception of young people and children in the studies is too plain and conservative (Gentile and Wash, 2002, p. 168).
Bandura (1991, p. 249), believes that the general criticisms and internal methodological problems of the effects and perspective theoretical assumption combine to come up with questions that have the ability to mention anything of value on the potential threats of computers.
Most importantly, the coming up with methodological concerns should not in any way be confused with the claim that computers have a direct effect on their users, and even if it may be the case it should be a matter that is settled with the use of valid scientific procedures.
Summary
Computers and their potential adverse effects has been a subject of debate for a long time. The debate about computers became more and more detailed and realistic in the depiction of violence towards the 1990s. Fascination of computers in the recent years has been linked to a few cases of incidents that are violent, especially in public. At the same time realistically speaking the graphics and audio features of computers have brought about worries of the potential adverse psychological risks they pose.
This paper has summarized the research into the potential adverse effects of computers in general. The research focuses on the relationship between excessive use of computers and increased psychological problems of its users and has shown various results gotten from a period of at least two decades. The results however point in two different directions. While some researchers feel they have gotten the real signs of the psychological problems caused by the use of computers, other researchers feel they have not been able to double their results and others are critical in a strong way of the methods that have been used to conduct the studies.
There are some signs that excessive use of computers worsens psychological problems. Even though serious criticism has overshadowed the studies that have tried to show this link. Primarily critics are of the view that it is not easy to perceive the computer which is a medium of communication as a phenomenon that can be set aside from the user’s everyday life and studied in isolation.
The definition in this research of addiction is not consistent however hence it has its limitations. In general, emphasis should be put on the term addiction in a sense that is not medical meaning it is a concept that is very controversial. Most critics of these studies pinpoint that addiction seems ideologically to be biased especially if for example; addiction is exclusively used by individuals who see it a deviation from the desirable or a deviation from the norm.
As far as potential adverse effects are concerned there is little evidence that suggests the user’s age may be an influence in any way. It is however documented quite well that the use of most computers communicates a stereotype image for; ethnic minorities, gender role and problem solving models. There are no studies that have been conducted to tell whether this affects the way users view the world in general.
On this note it is hardly possible in conclusion to say anything about the potential adverse effects of computers to psychological disorders. The criticism of the exact research is too serious and the empirical evidence is limited. It should however be noted that it is not due to lack of research results or unclear results that clarity on this issue is lacking rather to a large extent the disagreement is as a result of being able to quantify and understand the effects of using computers.
Hence we can say that the question; are psychological problems made worse by computers? Is too broad for a specific answer.
In collaboration with any potential campaigns that target specific vulnerable groups, it would be more industrious to ask which combination types of computers, computer situation and types of personalities have the capacity to have adverse effects. Hence more constructive and realistic research will need to be conducted in the future to answer this question.
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