Poll: nearly 50% of year 10 students feel addicted to the internet

Click to see the article (Read 9.5.2014)
Written by Peter Walker, The Guardian

Teksti kertoo siitä, kuinka mielipidekyselyyn vastanneista nuorista lähes puolet koki olevansa riippuvaisia internetistä. Vaikka suurin osa nuorista sanoi suhtautuvansa internettiin positiivisesti, monet kuitenkin toivat ilmi ilmeisen netin syövereistä irroittautumisen vaikeuden. Nettiriippuvuus on paljonpuhuttu aihe, ja tutkimukset osoittavat brittiläisten lasten käyttävän enemmän aikaa koneella kuin muut eurooppalaiset ikätoverinsa.

I can personally identify with the youngsters who took the poll because I use internet nearly every day and if I'm not at the computer, I'm probably having my phone in my hands. I often scroll through my Facebook or Twitter feed even though I've already read everything on there just because I have nothing to do (or if I'm trying to avoid unpleasant things I should be doing like homework). Internet is a highly addictive place since you can go on and on when it comes to videos, photos etc., just like the boy said in the article: "When I'm on YouTube one video leads to another and I cannot stop myself from watching loads of videos and sometimes I'm up till about 2 o'clock in the morning just because I've been watching YouTube videos." It's not fun to admit it but I have experienced this myself too. That's why it's relieving to read that despite the fact that the group that made the poll campaigns for the increased use of electronical devices (such as iPads) in education, it has also published an advice guide advising the electronical devices be 'switched off before bed and during study times'.