The Impact of Technology to the Student

_______________

A Research Proposal Presented By Timely Relevant

_______________

by

NINA GWEN REDIMA

Student
Introduction

In today’s social environment, our daily lives are filled with electronic

media devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers. Throughout the

day, people constantly engage in various forms of media activity, such as

surfing the Internet, checking e-mail, watching videos, playing games, texting,

or talking on cellphones. While the new paradigm of media technologies—with

guaranteed interconnectedness, instantaneous nature, and ease of use—

addresses consumers’ needs and desires, some users inevitably demonstrate

excessive reliance on the media provided by these technologies.

Examining the phenomenon, scholars have argued that excessive media

dependence is likely to be problematic in a variety of individual and social

contexts (Bianchi and Phillips, 2005, Fisher, 1994: Kim and Haridakis, 2009,

Young, 1998). In particular, they acknowledge the physical and psychological

consequences of heavy media consumption. In earlier studies, findings revealed

that users who rely excessively on human–machine interactions tend to be less

sensitive to violence, display higher levels of depression, and demonstrate reset

syndrome or experience disconnect in conversations among familiy members.

Furthermore, one study suggested that heavy media dependence is closely

associated with antisocial or criminal behavior (Long, 1990). In light of the

various detrimental effects that users’ excessive media consumption can have
on themselves, others, and society, this issue has gained significance in

research related to addictive human–machine interactions.

Despite the fact that previous studies have examined a variety of factors affecting

excessive media dependence, this research tends to be confined to the exploration of

an individual medium, such as the Internet (Hawi, 2012, Tokunaga, 2012, Young,

1996a, Young, 1996b), a videogame (Caplan et al., 2009, Fisher, 1994, Hartmann et

al., 2012), or mobile phones (Khang, Woo, & Kim, 2012). As such, findings from

these studies are likely to be restricted to the specific media under examination, and

the perspectives provided by such research are thus limited for translating the

contemporary multimedia environment. In fact, as advanced technologies have

introduced similar media functions into various digital devices (i.e., iPhone, iPad,

iPod, etc.), users are now able watch a video stream, play a game, surf the Internet,

and make a phone call with a single one of these modern devices. Thus, when

considering an individual as a multi-media user, research of media addiction would

be more meaningful if it focused on users themselves rather than on any one

particular medium.

The current study therefore aims to delineate a generic process of media

addiction for an individual who demonstrates heavy consumption of various

media. The study will compare and contrast differences and similarities in the

processes of the individual’s excessive reliance on different forms of media. In

particular, this study intends to draw more detailed relations between the
individual variables and media addiction by examining self-traits, dispositional

media use motives, media flow and addiction, and associations among the

variables through use of the Internet, videogames, and mobile phones. As such,

this study will offer a complete picture of the addictive process by exploring

what motivates an individual to use a medium, how she/he arrives at a state of

flow when using the medium, and how the condition is then transformed into

an addiction. In addition, this study’s findings will provide preliminary

information useful in determining strategies to alleviate addiction-like

symptoms among users of various media and other new communication

technologies.
References

Khang, H., Kim, J. K., & Kim, Y. (2013). Self-traits and motivations as

antecedents of digital media flow and addiction: The Internet, mobile phones,

and video games. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2416-2424.