Artifact 10 Summary & Response

Link To Article http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/miss-g-a-case-of-internet-addiction/?emc=eta1

In a New York Times blog titled Miss G: A Case of Internet Addiction, author Virginia Heffernan examines the anxieties and fears surrounding internet usage. To begin  Heffernan questions why the internet is viewed so much more differently than other popular diversions such as newspaper and public radio. The internet has been labeled as addictive-while its users have been accused of being out of touch with reality. Moving forward Heffernan insist that out of date material on internet addiction, like the nearly 15 year old self- evaluation questionnaire that pops up on most search engines, has lead to a new form of self-hate. Ironically the questionnaire about Internet addiction which is only accessible by going online and viewing it, claims that all activities offline are richer and more fulling than those done online. The questionnaire reports that some tell tell signs of internet addiction are undone laundry and neglected chores. Heffernan contends the popular online  questionnaire be reminding us that it is not empirical in nature and that it holds bias against non-traditional pastimes. There are no book addicts, poetry addicts, nor music addicts. The people who love the arts are considered passionate while internet users are  tagged as addicts without taking into consideration a person could be online reading  novels or watching a live theater performance.  As the article begins to conclude Heffernan  takes a look a at a self described internet addict, Gabrielle. Miss G is a young college student who in her free time frequents the web to chat with friends, play games, listen to music, and  to research current events. Heffernan argues that people like Gabrielle should be not be labeled as an addict, which has a deviant connotation attached to it, rather Gabrielle should be viewed as a intellectual enthusiast. Gabrielle spends most of her time online thinking and acquiring knowledge there's nothing wrong with that and she shouldn't be frowned upon by society for doing so.

When I hear the term addiction, I automatically think whose the victim and how is there family coping with that persons struggle. When I think about addiction  I usually imagine someone with a tormented sole.  What I mean is a someone who has gone through some difficult times in there life such as death of a loved one or being abused as a child and as a way to cope with the pain they turn to alcohol and drugs as a means to escape their past. When I think of the term addiction I envision a person who will do anything to get their fix-lie, rob, steal, and even kill to attain that next high. So I am in agreement with Virginian Heffernan, we need to proceed with extreme caution before labeling someone an addict. That's a term that should not be thrown around lightly. In my opinion the hysteria surrounding internet usage is all about money..  A lot of people say that  addiction is a sickness, a sickness that can be cured. To cure this so called sickness you need counselors, therapist, doctors, rehab facilities, and literature on the subject. All these generate big bucks, so if there is another addiction added to the long list, then there will be more patients seeking medical intervention.  I believe the most classic case just happened recently with Tiger Woods and his extramarital affairs. He came out and said he was a sex addict. Now there's sex rehab facilities popping up, sex rehab reality shows, and sex rehab doctors/specialist going around the country holding speaking engagements.

Definitions:
Anxiety-restlessness, fear of something, fear of the unknown.
Pathological-compulsively doing something, doing something without thought.
Delinquency-failure to complete your work, mischievous/troublesome behavior.
Shopworn Rhetoric- ineffective argument, misused argument , unjust argument

Response To Artifact 9

It seems that every time I hear criticism about American culture, it states how highly impersonal and private our lives are. International travelers often experience culture shock and feel that as Americans we don't regularly interact with our neighbors, we don't connect with people we don't know, and rarely are we involved in activities outside of work/school. On the surface these assumptions may hold worth, but a deeper look into our culture reveals that we do value community and that the days of being completely private are over.  With the advent of the internet we instantly have access to court records, 10 k financial reports, and  to the business/professional profiles of anyone that's a member of a social networking site. It comes at no surprise that museums have taken advantage of our society's increased participation in online communities. After reading the article Spirit Of Sharing, the one statement that stood out to me the most is that on museum websites, everyone has a voice, and a vote. People can now go online and be actively involved in deciding what exhibitions frequent their local museums. Museums have long been perceived as destination for "old people"-most art museums have never been viewed as being hip or trendy. That has all changed. By having a continuous dialogue with patrons, museums have now added exhibits that our youth can appreciate. Not only do I admire the fact that museum curators are presenting exhibits that are more interactive, I appreciate that museums are becoming more transparent in their day to day operations. Although museums have historically been open to the general public, what goes on behind the scenes has long been a mystery. How museums acquire there artifacts, how much they pay for them, and the extreme measures they use to protect them have normally not been reported. With this information available to the public, we'll have a greater understanding of how historically significant  an artifact is, and we may be more inclined visit the museum to check it out in person. The greatest thing to come from museums implementing  the internet as a tool to attract people  to come through their doors, is that they've began to collaborate with other museums across the world to allow people access to artifacts from across all continents and time periods.  By digitizing their artifacts online museums have giving people an opportunity to experience history like never before. If we can learn about other cultures  historical artifacts we will inevitable learn about the people and with America being the worlds largest melting pot this will only strengthen ties between individuals from diverse backgrounds.