This article published by Reuters is very forthcoming with the claims that "technology might be just as addictive as alcohol and drugs and could also wreak havoc with person and work relationships." The author supports this claim with the expert opinion of John O'Neill, a director of additions services at a clinic, stating that he sees addiction-like behavior in his patients regarding cell phones or emails. Using statistics and evidence such as "6 to 10 percent of the approximation 189 Internet users in the United States have a dependency on technology", the author appeals to both the pathos and logos of her readers.
Comparing alcohol and drug addictions to internet addictions forces the reader to see how unhealthy an internet addiction truly is because it allows you to attribute the negative consequences of more documented addictions to a seemingly innocent transgression. This is the warrant of the article, because the underlying assumption is that internet addictions are just as dangerous as drug and alcohol - whether or not this true, I do not know. The author does not have much persuasion by way of evidence or grounds to make these claims other than citing the opinion of one addiction professional.
I like how you explained how the article was working and appealing in your last paragraph since the evidence was minimal. However, just the fact that he compared Internet with alcohol and drugs, along with expert's opinions, really got my attention. It's scary to thing the Internet can be that harmful.
ReplyDeleteGranted Americans since the past decade seem to appreciate the "addiction" because the information age equals efficiency. The Reuters' post definitely did not come close to reaching Palfrey and Gasser's conclusion that parents and teachers ought to incorporate this setting into the education of the next generation.
ReplyDelete@Amy: Good point about our "addiction" to efficiency. However, I was wondering what you meant by "this setting"? Are you referring to Palfrey and Gasser's claim that parents and teachers should effectively incorporate technology into the classroom/home, or are you referring to another claim made in Born Digital?
ReplyDeleteI think this article is well backed up by the evidence it uses to support its claim. Comparing the dependency of alcohol with technology is effective.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't see how technology is to the same degree restricting and drugs or alcohol. Yes the internet can be addictive and hinder your ability to get things done because your procrastinating but to say it hinders you to the point of a drug addiction is a little excessive. If you've ever been around someone with a drug addiction, you'll know it's not at all the same thing and wasting your time playing video games more often than you should.
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