节目资讯
刊物:生活知识家
日期:2010-06-19
难易度:High
关键字:angst, penalize, extended, pull the plug, psychiat
(Music).
Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
My name is Steve.
Over the years, technology has generated some great tools.
But as humans, we are prone to letting those tools control our lives.
I think of cell phones and credit cards, and now the Internet.
All three are very useful to us, but they’re also very easy to lose control of.
So, how about you?
Are you in control when you surf the Internet?
Although the amount of time you spend online is a strong indicator,
it isn’t the only warning signal that something might be wrong.
Let’s open our magazines now to page 37 and learn more about signs of Internet
addiction.
Internet Addiction.
So what distinguishes an Internet addict from a casual surfer?
One of several distinctions is that a person who has an Internet addiction
usually becomes angry or depressed when denied access to the Internet.
In contrast, a casual surfer can usually switch to offline activities without
such angst.
Although Internet addiction still isn’t labeled as a disorder by the American
Psychiatric Association,
many therapists are pressing the organization to do so.
They hope that more addicts can receive professional treatment.
Several Asian countries, on the other hand, have already labeled Internet
addiction a serious health problem and have taken steps to address it.
Hi, friends. Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide. I’m Chip.
And I’m Chelsea and you are joining us for our second day of this month’s
TECHNOLOGY article.
Now yesterday we began to teach you what it means to have an Internet addiction.
Now, we certainly hope that you don’t have an Internet addiction.
Or maybe you know somebody who does, and we hope this article can help you.
We met an individual yesterday named Ben,
who is addicted to the Internet until he flunked out of college and realized he
needed some help.
And so the checked himself into a rehab center.
So today we’re going to continue learning about Internet addiction,
and maybe what can be done to help people who have such an addiction.
OK.
Well, today’s portion of the article starts off with a question.
And this is actually a very good question.
This is one that I think we all need to figure out an answer to.
What distinguishes an Internet addict from a casual surfer?
So here we’re talking about a casual Internet surfer or a person who just uses
the Internet uh, normally, or I guess, casually.
And what distinguishes a casual surfer from an Internet addict?
Here we’re talking about what’s the difference, right, Chelsea?
We are. And our article goes on to explain that one of several ”distinctions”
and a distinction is just a difference between two similar things.
So, one of several distinctions or differences is that a person who has an
Internet addiction usually becomes angry or even depressed when denied access to
the Internet.
That means people who are used to spending hours and hours and hours per day on
the Internet might...
You might see a change in their behavior if you ask them to get off the
Internet.
So an addict might get angry if they’re denied access.
In contrast, or on the other hand, a casual surfer can usually switch to offline
activities without such angst.
Now, here, as we’re contrasting someone who’s angry with someone who’s not
angry, we’re using the word ”angst,” right, Chelsea?
Right. And ”angst” refers to strong worry and unhappiness, especially about
personal problems.
So I think we could say that an Internet addict might experience angst if he or
she is told to leave the Internet.
But we see... here that a casual surfer would be able to switch to offline
activities without such angst.
Their behavior likely would not change.
Well, right now we have some more information for you to enjoy and then we’ll be
right back.
Here are a few signs that your computer is taking control of your life.
You neglect friends and family.
You feel restless when you’re not engaged in some online activity.
Your computer use is interfering with your job or school performance.
You feel guilty, ashamed, anxious or depressed as a result of your behavior.
Your sleep patterns are changing.
Very interesting.
Although Internet addiction still isn’t labeled as a disorder by the American
Psychiatric Association,
many therapists are pressing the organization to do so.
So here we’re talking about, first of all, the American Psychiatric Association.
What is that, Chelsea?
Well, it is an association that works with and thinks about things like mental
illnesses,
because that term ”psychiatric” refers to the study of mental illnesses.
So here we have uh, the Internet addiction, people who are addicted to the
Internet, not quite falling into the category of a mental illness yet.
Although this association is hoping that soon they will be added to the American
Psychiatric Association.
OK. So it sounds like therapists are pressing or they’re pushing,
they’re hoping that this organization makes it an official disorder or an
official problem that would be recognized by the APA.
Well, they hope that more addicts, people who are addicted, can receive
professional treatment.
And that would be the benefit of making this an official disorder.
Right. And as we see there are... are already some professional treatment
options.
Places like reSTART, the rehab center that allows Internet addicts to go in and
recover.
So that is a move in the right direction.
And several Asian countries have actually already started labeling Inter...
Internet addiction a serious health problem.
And they’ve even taken steps to address it.
So it sounds like maybe these countries aren’t necessarily calling it a
disorder,
but they’re calling it a serious health problem, which is pretty close to some
kind of disorder.
And they’ve taken steps to address it.
They’ve done some things.
They’ve taken some steps toward the goal of fixing the problem or at least,
trying to fix the problem.
And I think that’s great.
I think it’s very important that people start to look at Internet addiction more
seriously,
and to recognize the problems that it causes because it is very serious.
And there are many people who are addicted to the Internet.
Now, Chip, I’m not personally addicted to the Internet,
but I think I can see how some people would become addicted to the Internet.
There’s so much to do on the Internet.
Certainly. And it... it brings a lot of joy and a lot of fun into the lives of
many people.
Um, so I can easily see how this, the Internet, could become a very serious
addiction.
Well, we’ve got more about Internet addiction after the break.
Before we take a break, let’s visit the Chat Room.
Summer is definitely here.
It’s so hot out.
Isn’t it, though?
So, Ashley, what do you do for fun in the summer?
When the weather is nice and hot like today, I’d like to go to the beach and
surf.
Wow! I didn’t know you surfed.
Oh, I’m no pro. I’m just a casual weekend surfer.
Hey, speaking of casual surfers, I just read this sentence in Studio Classroom.
”So what distinguishes an Internet addict from a casual surfer?”.
What does surfing have to do with the Internet? I don’t get it.
Oh, that’s not the surfing we were talking about.
30 years ago, surfing meant riding a surfboard on the crest of a wave.
In the 1980’s, with the availability of the remote control, the term ”channel
surfing” was created.
Channel surfing?
Yep. That’s when you quickly scan through different TV channels in order to find
something interesting to watch.
But what... what does that have to do with the Internet?
Hold on.
In the 1990’s, a new term was created, web surfing.
In this case, ”surfing” refers to the feeling you get when you jump from page to
page on the web.
As opposed to jumping from wave to wave while surfing in the ocean.
Yep. You got it.
So the ”casual surfer” mentioned in Studio Classroom refers to someone who likes
to surf the Internet every now and then.
I see.
So does this new meaning of surfing have of positive or negative meaning?
Sometimes it’s more negative than positive.
A channel surfer or a web surfer often gives one the impression that the person
is lazy, has nothing to do but kill time.
So the person is just browsing and not looking for anything in particular?
That’s the impression we often get from the term.
But of course, it doesn’t always mean that.
I see.
Well, I think the surfing that you do is a lot healthier.
And, it’s a lot more fun.
Mmhm.
(Chinese).