Saturday, April 23, 2011
Future of the Internet.
This is going to be the last post for my COM 125 blog, and for the future of the Internet, I am going to share a video. This is quite an interesting one, and it includes all the aspects of the Internet services that we have talked about and I think they will be further developed in the near future. This video was by the EU, and it is extremely upbeat because of the good use of music and graphics.
Enjoy!
I think another trend of the internet is that as more and more users are going online via their mobile, mobile internet services are going to increase. Everyone will be connected to the Internet, however we have to be careful of it taking over our lives. The internet is a tool and we must maintain this or else we may become slaves to it. This is like my internet addiction. Currently, I am trying to cut down on my Internet usage and try to go out and socialize more with my friends face to face instead of merely keeping in touch online.
All in all, I think that there is still a great deal to learn about the Internet and there will be a lot of changes to it, and fast too. We have to constantly update ourselves on the developments of the technology scene or we will become obsolete.
Thanks Mr Abel Choy! COM 125 had been a really great module to have and I look forward to seeing you around school!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tim Berners-Lee on the next Web | Video on TED.com
Tim Berners-Lee on the next Web | Video on TED.com
Click on the link, and view this video where Tim Berners-Lee Tells us about the next Web. I think this is really interesting because he tells of how data is not only provided by the government or big enterprises, but also from us. All of us have a part to play in providing linked data for our community. Quoting this amazing man, "There are data in every aspect of our lives... There is a huge power out of it."
Click on the link, and view this video where Tim Berners-Lee Tells us about the next Web. I think this is really interesting because he tells of how data is not only provided by the government or big enterprises, but also from us. All of us have a part to play in providing linked data for our community. Quoting this amazing man, "There are data in every aspect of our lives... There is a huge power out of it."
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Citizen Journalism
Citizen Journalism. What exactly is it?
It is essentially individuals who report information, and this can take on many forms, such as podcast, blogging, and vlogging. It can include text, pictures, audio and videos. One characteristic of citizen journalism is that it occurs mainly online. This is because the connectivity of the Internet gave the common people the power to reach the global masses, which only the large corporations could do in the past. I think that it is a powerful tool because we are able to share information between people who are similar as ourselves and people who share the same interests.
I think that one extremely interactive way of citizen journalism is through forums. People can discuss anything, and sometimes you do not even have to be a member of the forum, you can post anonymously. So, if I wanted to bring attention to a piece of news, I use a tantalizing header, and tell my story. People who are interested will read and comment.
Another form of citizen journalism which I think is taking the world by storm is Vlogging. This is because people talk about what is happening to them at the moment and it is easy to do. You can simply film yourself with your camera phone, upload it to Youtube, and WALLAH, you are posting information of yourself and the issues around you. If people are interested, they can subscribe to you and this increases the hits on the video. It is extremely interactive because viewers can comment, or even post reply videos to your video!
Here are some of my favorite people on Youtube:
Dee Kosh
BeautyCrush
It is essentially individuals who report information, and this can take on many forms, such as podcast, blogging, and vlogging. It can include text, pictures, audio and videos. One characteristic of citizen journalism is that it occurs mainly online. This is because the connectivity of the Internet gave the common people the power to reach the global masses, which only the large corporations could do in the past. I think that it is a powerful tool because we are able to share information between people who are similar as ourselves and people who share the same interests.
I think that one extremely interactive way of citizen journalism is through forums. People can discuss anything, and sometimes you do not even have to be a member of the forum, you can post anonymously. So, if I wanted to bring attention to a piece of news, I use a tantalizing header, and tell my story. People who are interested will read and comment.
Here are some of my favorite people on Youtube:
Dee Kosh
BeautyCrush
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Internet and Politics
The Internet is an important tool for the government to spread their ideology.
According to Mike Sachoff from Webpronews.com, the Internet is playing a bigger role in the American Politics, where 73% of American netizens went online in 2010 to get information and news about the elections and to discuss the event. This group of Americans consisted of 54% of all voters.
"Obama would not have won without the Internet."
According to Trippi, who is an American Democratic campaign worker and consultant, Obama's Youtube spots gathered an aggregate of 14.5 million viewing hours.
President Obama was able to foster ties with his people because he embraced the Internet. He used Twitter, Youtube, and a website to broadcast his trips to the various states online.
He has about 7.5million followers on Twitter! With one tweet, he can reach that many people!
For his website, he seems to address the viewers on a weekly basis which I think really helps the people get to know him.
(click the links to go to his sites!)
He shared his journey with the people, and he was extremely responsive to their tweets. His contender, Hillary Clinton, also had a twitter account, and apparently comparisons were made to how responsive they were to evaluate how interested and engaging they were with the public.
People from all over the world were also able to catch the news on the election and get updated on a minute by minute basis which was really great! I think this is really awesome and beneficial for Americans who were out of town during the elections, such as our beloved UB lecturers in Singapore, because it not only helps them feel like they are part of the election but also involved as well. They can discuss about it with their friends and families.
I think that the government's use of the Internet to introduce campaigns and interact with the common people will keep increasing, but this can be both good and bad. For the downside, people may lose more privacy if the government continues their warrantless wiretapping for surveillance.
According to Mike Sachoff from Webpronews.com, the Internet is playing a bigger role in the American Politics, where 73% of American netizens went online in 2010 to get information and news about the elections and to discuss the event. This group of Americans consisted of 54% of all voters.
According to Trippi, who is an American Democratic campaign worker and consultant, Obama's Youtube spots gathered an aggregate of 14.5 million viewing hours.
President Obama was able to foster ties with his people because he embraced the Internet. He used Twitter, Youtube, and a website to broadcast his trips to the various states online.
He has about 7.5million followers on Twitter! With one tweet, he can reach that many people!
For his website, he seems to address the viewers on a weekly basis which I think really helps the people get to know him.
(click the links to go to his sites!)
He shared his journey with the people, and he was extremely responsive to their tweets. His contender, Hillary Clinton, also had a twitter account, and apparently comparisons were made to how responsive they were to evaluate how interested and engaging they were with the public.
People from all over the world were also able to catch the news on the election and get updated on a minute by minute basis which was really great! I think this is really awesome and beneficial for Americans who were out of town during the elections, such as our beloved UB lecturers in Singapore, because it not only helps them feel like they are part of the election but also involved as well. They can discuss about it with their friends and families.
I think that the government's use of the Internet to introduce campaigns and interact with the common people will keep increasing, but this can be both good and bad. For the downside, people may lose more privacy if the government continues their warrantless wiretapping for surveillance.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Multimedia
Multimedia is such a huge part of our lives now that there is not a day where we will not encounter it unless we are isolated from technology.
What exactly is multimedia? It is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. There are generally two types - linear and non-linear.
Linear is such as cinema presentation where the viewer does not have any navigational control.
Non-linear is such that the viewer has some control and there is interaction, like computer games.
I can watch shows that are only broadcasted on paid TV. I can catch the latest gossip on celebrities even if i don't buy magazines. I can get the latest news even if i don't subscribe to the newspapers. I can listen to the latest billboard hits even if i don't buy CDs, or even if i don't own a radio. I can even catch performances of artists that i can't attend concerts of.
What exactly is multimedia? It is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. There are generally two types - linear and non-linear.
Linear is such as cinema presentation where the viewer does not have any navigational control.
Non-linear is such that the viewer has some control and there is interaction, like computer games.
Most of it are using the internet as a platform. Even the radio is using the internet to increase its reach to the viewers. Let's take the iPhone app - MeRadio. I can listen to the radio live through the internet on my phone. That is so amazing! We don't even need an actual radio anymore!
It's also good because as long as people have the internet, they can access all forms of information.
It's also good because as long as people have the internet, they can access all forms of information.
For people like me who do not have a lot of money...
...A LAPTOP AND THE INTERNET IS ALL WE NEED!
I can watch shows that are only broadcasted on paid TV. I can catch the latest gossip on celebrities even if i don't buy magazines. I can get the latest news even if i don't subscribe to the newspapers. I can listen to the latest billboard hits even if i don't buy CDs, or even if i don't own a radio. I can even catch performances of artists that i can't attend concerts of.
IT IS SOOOOOO AMAZING!
-colon capital D-
Multimedia is used in many industries and parts of our lives. This is such as advertisements, education, entertainment, medicine, business, scientific research, journalism, and so on so forth.
One of the area it is most heavily used on is the entertainment industry. This is because they want to grab the attention of their viewers and they do this by developing special effects in movies and animations. There are more movies which are coming up with the 3-D version, and Avatar which had it's life like effects. It is all special effects to increase the (sense of) interaction the viewers have.
One of the area it is most heavily used on is the entertainment industry. This is because they want to grab the attention of their viewers and they do this by developing special effects in movies and animations. There are more movies which are coming up with the 3-D version, and Avatar which had it's life like effects. It is all special effects to increase the (sense of) interaction the viewers have.
Friday, April 1, 2011
I CAN'T WAIT FOR
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
- ON STRANGER TIDES
!!!!!!!
IT'S GOING TO BE OUT ON 19TH MAY.
which feels like eons away.
Thanks to Youtube, I am able to slightly quench my desire for this movie with this trailer.
I love the way they capture the spirit of freedom, adventure and nonchalance in Captain Jack Sparrow.
who is
and has an electrifying presence in real life.
Ever since the first sequel, I have been an ardent fan.
Not just for Johnny Depp, but also for POTC. (:
The theme songs of this movie also adds to its charm, making it seem all dark yet so compelling at the same time.
I have been spamming this Youtube video for quite awhile today
(only replaying it and viewing it a few 100 times....)
& it's because in the start of this video, Captain Jack has a dialogue with the viewers, making it even more "interactive"
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Internet Security
PRIVACY. PIRACY.
ARE WE SAFE? IS THE SITE SECURE?
ARE WE SAFE? IS THE SITE SECURE?
WHAAAAAAT ?!?! THIRD-PARTY SITES?!?!
To tell the truth, I never really wondered about security online, especially about private information other than when I am doing online banking or shopping.
This is a huge issue now, and there are is a chance that privacy will have to be a paid privilege in future. This is a scary thought. If whatever we post, upload, view, watch or download from the internet is traceable and can be tracked by the conglomerations, hackers or the government, then our digital presence can bring us much harm.
For instance, I know of people who post their locations and their activities without restraint on the internet through social networking services as the likes of Twitter, Facebook and 4square which is available to everyone as long as they have the correct device to use it. As most people now have a mobile phone which can access the Internet, there are loads of stuff they can post online.
Once, I wanted to know more about my cousin Anna's boyfriend, I went to Facebook and check out his profile (which schools he attended, his interests), his photographs which is an amazing tool to learn a great deal about a person.
I found out he had a sister and even showed my aunt (Anna's mother). She had only seen him once and had not seen his family before, so she was also extremely interested. haha!
We have to be extremely aware of the way we present ourselves on the Internet, if not those who do not know us personally will conjure up an inaccurate impression about us.
When I came to learn that the privacy settings that Facebook is altered. The users have to manually choose to not allow third parties to access their information and our preferences were disclosed for Facebook's advertising purposes. This was extremely disturbing. What if I was not aware of the change in settings, such as the less technologically savvy, or those who check their Facebook accounts not as often, they may not be alerted of this. There was no notification in the emails at all, and this caused a great deal of uproar.
There was also a case regarding the emails on Gmail. If I remembered correctly, a company's emails were let out due to a glitch and people were able to access their business deals information. This is extremely dangerous because in our hi-tech era, a great deal of negotiations and dealings take place through emails because it is instant, fast and reliable (or so we thought). In this information era, if confidential information are released, it can be detrimental for not only the individual but the company as well. Society is also at risk as we are all interdependent and connected in the global village.
Another thing I learnt about hacking was that hackers are extremely fast and their main aim is to get in and get out undetected. My computer may have been hacked a number of times but I would not know at all because I am but a mere user of the computer, with little to no knowledge on how to even go about checking or optimizing my privacy settings.
Beware.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
E-learning
The advancement of technology and the greater use of the computer has brought about this phenomenon of e-learning. I was browsing through some websites in the past and came across advertisements that said that one can earn a degree through online universities. I was shocked! It seemed like such a hi-tech idea, but now we are doing exactly that in UB too!
For my NTR 110 module in UB, I had to download the lecture documents and the assignments. After reading through them and completing the assignment, i will upload the document to UBLearns, and my lecturer will mark it and post the results online. There were also article discussions I had to participate in as part of the assessment. I think that the pros of this is that I can do the assignments at my own pace and time as long as I hand it in within the stipulated time (Friday, 9am/ 5pm).
Personally, this is an extremely isolated form of learning as I still prefer the physical lectures like the ones we have on Monday and Thursday with Mr Abel Choy, and I can go to him to ask questions right away. Although E-learning allows this in the form of forums, discussion boards and emails, the lecturers and the students have to constantly check the portals or else they may miss something.
In addition, another downside of e-learning is that glitches can occur. For example, as i was trying to upload my completed assignment on UBLearns for my NTR 110 lab, there was an error, and my file was NOT uploaded! I was in so much panic because there was no way I can edit my submission and my lecturer previously mentioned that she would not accept the labs through email. I was literally feeling like the picture below:
I hurriedly emailed my lecturer and THANK GOD she accepted it. phew!
So this point of online assignment submissions is also dangerous in the sense that the technology "dies" on us, and cause distress which is uncalled for.
Personally, this is an extremely isolated form of learning as I still prefer the physical lectures like the ones we have on Monday and Thursday with Mr Abel Choy, and I can go to him to ask questions right away. Although E-learning allows this in the form of forums, discussion boards and emails, the lecturers and the students have to constantly check the portals or else they may miss something.
In addition, another downside of e-learning is that glitches can occur. For example, as i was trying to upload my completed assignment on UBLearns for my NTR 110 lab, there was an error, and my file was NOT uploaded! I was in so much panic because there was no way I can edit my submission and my lecturer previously mentioned that she would not accept the labs through email. I was literally feeling like the picture below:
So this point of online assignment submissions is also dangerous in the sense that the technology "dies" on us, and cause distress which is uncalled for.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Social Media
The social media is wonderful!!
I did a mini survey and asked many of my friends how they learnt about the earthquake in Japan, and most of them said that they first heard it through Twitter or Facebook.
This may be due to the fact that the youths in Singapore are so technology savvy, reliant and absorbed that social media is more often than not the platform with which we use to communicate with our peers, family, organisations, institutions and probably even the government.
Personally, I was alerted of the earthquake via Twitter and then kept myself updated of the earthquake and tsunami through the CNN’s website, where live news stream of the calamity was broadcasted. I was actually very anxious in that period because my relative was in the States and I had to keep myself updated on the possibility that there may be a tsunami washing over the area he was in. The tsunami alert was up, but thankfully, there was adequate time for the people there to move to higher ground, so he is safe.
This is a print screen of the site, however, the video was already taken down, sorry about that!
I was vigilant for the better part of the night, and the trends on Twitter were flooded with #prayforJapan and #Earthquakes which made it easy for users to catch up on what the world was taking about and happening in Japan.
Rumours even sprung up, such as that of Yuko Yamaguchi (the Hello Kitty creator) and Satoshi Tajiri (the Pokemon creator) dying due to the disaster. They became twitter trends in no time as more and more people retweeted it. According to tweetbeat.com, a staggering number of 11,284 people tweeted about Satoshi Tajiri’s death in the tsunami within the time frame of 24 hours (Sunday Mar 13, 09:45 pm – Monday Mar 14, 09:45pm).
Yuko Yamaguchi (the Hello Kitty creator)
Satoshi Tajiri (the Pokemon creator)
It was viral.
On the International Business Times website, it is said that the rumours stopped only when Satoshi Tajiri posted a status on his Facebook page that he was still very much alive and that his people are also safe.
Tajiri said, “"Dear Hummingbirds, what's this nonsense about me being dead?”.
No one really knew what happened but everyone just passed the information along because they trusted their source. However, at the same time, no one really knows the root source and if it is even reliable to begin with.
So, one still needs to double, triple and quadruple check the information before accepting them even if many are talking about it. It is just like gossips really, always check your sources.
References:
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Online Shopping Addict
For this post, I am going to post some of my favourite shopping sites, as I feel that they have a great online business concept.
1. ASOS.com
This is an online clothing website that is based in UK.
They have a great variety of products ranging from female lingerie, clothes, cosmetics to male watches, bags and accessories. Their clothings range from sizes UK 6-28. So, people of all sizes can get a piece of their large collection.
Furthermore, many other brands also use them as a platform. They include Warehouse, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen, Dolce and Gabbana and U-Boat.
The cherry on the icing is that they are offering
free delivery worldwide!
So, you do not have to fret about postage and additional delivery costs!
They even have their own magazine, so that their customers can flip through their catalog as they would in the conventional manner instead of online.
2. eBay.com
Who can resist browsing through eBay which has EVERYTHING from TRASH TO TREASURE!
The best thing about it is its bidding system.
You enter the amount you are willing to pay for the product, and see if anyone else outbids yours. Then you decide if you want to continue bidding.
The confusing things about ebay which i encountered was its paypal system. What i learnt was that you buy paypal credits and then when you purchase an item, the seller receives your paypal credits and exchange it for cash.
Anyway, for ebay, one thing to look out for is if there are extra charges. Although many products are priced extremely low, the shipping is the one that KILLS!
Once i was browsing through for polaroid cameras, i saw a few that i liked which were pretty cheap, but they were all at US, and to ship them over, the shipping fee was about 4 times that of the camera.
3. Supre.com.au
This site is based in Australia, and it has extremely cute and bright clothes which are exactly what we need in tropical Singapore. As Australia is also large on beachwear, their clothes are good for Singapore’s hot and humid weather.
They sell a lot of basic wear as well, such as basic tanks, tops and dresses. However, their clientele is mainly the females so there aren’t much clothes for the guys.
1. ASOS.com
They have a great variety of products ranging from female lingerie, clothes, cosmetics to male watches, bags and accessories. Their clothings range from sizes UK 6-28. So, people of all sizes can get a piece of their large collection.
Furthermore, many other brands also use them as a platform. They include Warehouse, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen, Dolce and Gabbana and U-Boat.
The cherry on the icing is that they are offering
free delivery worldwide!
So, you do not have to fret about postage and additional delivery costs!
They even have their own magazine, so that their customers can flip through their catalog as they would in the conventional manner instead of online.
2. eBay.com
Who can resist browsing through eBay which has EVERYTHING from TRASH TO TREASURE!
The best thing about it is its bidding system.
You enter the amount you are willing to pay for the product, and see if anyone else outbids yours. Then you decide if you want to continue bidding.
The confusing things about ebay which i encountered was its paypal system. What i learnt was that you buy paypal credits and then when you purchase an item, the seller receives your paypal credits and exchange it for cash.
Anyway, for ebay, one thing to look out for is if there are extra charges. Although many products are priced extremely low, the shipping is the one that KILLS!
Once i was browsing through for polaroid cameras, i saw a few that i liked which were pretty cheap, but they were all at US, and to ship them over, the shipping fee was about 4 times that of the camera.
OUTRAGEOUS!
3. Supre.com.au
This site is based in Australia, and it has extremely cute and bright clothes which are exactly what we need in tropical Singapore. As Australia is also large on beachwear, their clothes are good for Singapore’s hot and humid weather.
They sell a lot of basic wear as well, such as basic tanks, tops and dresses. However, their clientele is mainly the females so there aren’t much clothes for the guys.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
E-business is definitely one aspect of trade that companies or people who are looking to start up their own business have to keep an eye on.
The elimination of rental and labour costs are definitely going to be huge savings for people with little capital.
However, these are replaced with time taken to design the website, edit the pictures, and most importantly set up the security required for payment.
If online shoppers do not feel safe giving their personal and private information to a site that they deem as insecure, it will be extremely difficult to sell your products (no matter how unique and exclusive) to them.
To keep your customer, your site has to have these criterias:
- design
- ease of use
- interactivity
- use of technology
- innovation
-content
Design
I think that there has to be a balance in the way the site is designed if not users will feel uneasy whilst browsing the site. Moreover, the site has to be appealing. I think that colors, pictures and the layout of the website is extremely important. Because that is what people are drawn to -- images.
Ease of Use
It has to be easy to use. If people find the website difficult to navigate, they will just close the window and go to another site. This will bring about a lost of customers and the business will not do so well. Thus, it is important that it is user-friendly, and everything is placed in an obvious location.
Interactivity
The website has to have some form of interaction with the users or else it will be like accessing an isolated or "dead" product. Many websites such as Topshop, Asos, Supre and Diesel are adding multimedia onto their websites. They use videos to show their products, and they have an interactive layout. For instance, Diesel even used their site to promote their campaign "Be Stupid", which was a really interesting video.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT.
Furthermore, another aspect is that there ALWAYS has to be some way a customer can contact the company. This can be in the form of email, telephone number or a mailing address.
Use of Technology and Innovation.
Since the business is going to be online, the company has to be aware of any innovative ways to present their products to their customers.
Content
Unlike shopping in retail stores, online businesses have to make sure they provide enough content for the customers to decide if they want to purchase their products. This includes measurements of the item, materials used, colors available, handling advice, shipping information. The most important information is updating the customers of the shipping status. It shows that the company cares about the customers' purchase and it can help put their hearts' at ease of their purchase. (:
The elimination of rental and labour costs are definitely going to be huge savings for people with little capital.
However, these are replaced with time taken to design the website, edit the pictures, and most importantly set up the security required for payment.
If online shoppers do not feel safe giving their personal and private information to a site that they deem as insecure, it will be extremely difficult to sell your products (no matter how unique and exclusive) to them.
To keep your customer, your site has to have these criterias:
- design
- ease of use
- interactivity
- use of technology
- innovation
-content
Design
I think that there has to be a balance in the way the site is designed if not users will feel uneasy whilst browsing the site. Moreover, the site has to be appealing. I think that colors, pictures and the layout of the website is extremely important. Because that is what people are drawn to -- images.
Ease of Use
It has to be easy to use. If people find the website difficult to navigate, they will just close the window and go to another site. This will bring about a lost of customers and the business will not do so well. Thus, it is important that it is user-friendly, and everything is placed in an obvious location.
Interactivity
The website has to have some form of interaction with the users or else it will be like accessing an isolated or "dead" product. Many websites such as Topshop, Asos, Supre and Diesel are adding multimedia onto their websites. They use videos to show their products, and they have an interactive layout. For instance, Diesel even used their site to promote their campaign "Be Stupid", which was a really interesting video.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT.
Furthermore, another aspect is that there ALWAYS has to be some way a customer can contact the company. This can be in the form of email, telephone number or a mailing address.
Use of Technology and Innovation.
Since the business is going to be online, the company has to be aware of any innovative ways to present their products to their customers.
Content
Unlike shopping in retail stores, online businesses have to make sure they provide enough content for the customers to decide if they want to purchase their products. This includes measurements of the item, materials used, colors available, handling advice, shipping information. The most important information is updating the customers of the shipping status. It shows that the company cares about the customers' purchase and it can help put their hearts' at ease of their purchase. (:
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I've been watching loads of Youtube videos lately, so much so that it's become plastered onto my new tab page on Google Chrome and checking for updates every day.
I think it is one of the best things ever invented.
There is one video i chanced upon today that I want to share with you guys. (:
It has great depth of meaning and reopened my mind.
Plug into your earpiece as you watch it. ((:
I think it is one of the best things ever invented.
There is one video i chanced upon today that I want to share with you guys. (:
It has great depth of meaning and reopened my mind.
Plug into your earpiece as you watch it. ((:
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Hello.
A simple "Hello" is the title of my blog because everyone multi-tasks on the computer nowadays that each time they enter a site, it is like seeing a new face or reading a page of a book but only for a short while.
This blog is dedicated to my COM 125 module - Introduction to Internet, and frankly, I am still quite unsure how I should go forth with this. I guess I shall start by introducing my addiction to the internet.
There is this illness, and I am an Internet Addict.
When I turn on the computer, there has to be Internet, or else I will tether it from my iPhone.
I absolutely love this function because I can literally get internet ANYWHERE, and need not bother about the availability of wireless connection.
According to http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50823, there are
8 symptoms of this disorder.
Check it out, and if 5 or more apply, it is highly likely that you may be an Internet Addict.
1. Preoccupation – You constantly think about the previous online activity or keep looking forward to the next one. It is like a smoker craving for the next smoking session. For instance, I keep playing games which require the Internet, such as Smurf Village and Tap Zoo on my iPhone, and I constantly check it to see if I can continue playing (collecting the harvest, coins, etc.)
2. Increased use – To reach satisfaction from internet usage, the amount of time spent online will keep increasing and increasing. This is because of the law of diminishing marginal utility, where the perceived value of a good consumed declines with each unit acquired and more has to be consumed the next time to achieve the same level of satisfaction. Sometimes, I can use the internet for up to 10 hours without realizing it.
3. Inability to stop – You cannot cut back on the time spent on the Internet. For example, I have to keep checking my email, Twitter or Facebook for any updates.
4. Withdrawal symptoms -- You feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when you attempt to stop or cut down Internet use.
5. Lost sense of time – Your usage time on the Internet consistently exceeds the expected time frame. For instance, I wanted to only check my email and UBLearns, and gave myself about 1 hour. However, I ended up using 5 hours to do the same tasks because I was site-hopping and viewing Youtube videos at the same time. One link leads to another and it brings about this lost sense of time.
6. Risky behaviors -- A significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity can be jeopardized because of excessive Internet use.
a. One man decided to leave his wife of 22 years for someone he had corresponded with on the Internet for a couple of months.
7. Lies – Lies could be used to conceal the extent of your involvement with the Internet. Someone who's seeing a therapist for depression might not tell the therapist about her Internet use.
8. Escape to the Internet -- The Internet is used as a way to avoid thinking about problems, or to allay depression or feelings of helplessness.
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