Dependents on Social Media
By David Antos
Today we live in a new technological age unlike any other. The world wide web is at all of our fingertips, and a call across the world is only a few number dials away. Are we becoming too attached to these new technological devices? Many would argue that is actually and addiction and a serious problem, but I for one don’t believe the hype. Every day I sit through lectures taking notes and trying to stay as focused as I can. Certainly I zone out from time to time, but for the most part I remain very involved. Yet, no matter what class I go to, there are always multiple students on their laptops watching videos or browsing Facebook and Twitter. An addiction is basically the continued use of a psychoactive drug, or the repetition of a behavior despite adverse consequences. Does using the internet too much really qualify as an addiction? Sure, most of the homework we do in college is online, take ELMS and Cengage for example, but this merely enhances our use of time and technology. Online media in the right hands is a powerful tool, yet it can be very harmful at the same time if you are not responsible with it. We certainly spend absurd amounts of time on our phones, or on our computers, but its all about managing your time and self control. People have been slacking off, and not paying attention, since the beginning of schools themselves, that’s never going to change. However, the way people preoccupy themselves and distract themselves does change. Just because online media is the newest way to distract ourselves from the real world doesn’t mean we should start opening hospitals for people who overdose on Twitter. My point is, doing work and getting a certain job done, really only comes down to a persons will to do that job. “Addiction” to social media is just an excuse for people not wanting to get their work done. Turn off your phone, and take out a pen and paper because if you don’t do your work, your stay at Maryland will be very short.
