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 back, everybody.
I think there might be some people out there who are on the Internet 16 hours a
day.
But, they’re not addicted.
It’s possible, right?
Maybe their job requires it.
Maybe they can’t wait to log off and go home.
Conversely, there might be those who are online just an hour a day,
but in that hour, there are symptoms of an unhealthy dependence.
So, time spent on the Internet is a factor, but it’s not the only gauge.
Let’s wrap up our lesson with the final reading now on line 14.
(Music).
Internet Addiction.
China has required local gaming companies to penalize gamers who play online for
more than three hours a day by cutting their points in half.
And both China and Korea have created boot camps where addicts are denied
Internet access for extended periods.
In order to prevent an addiction from forming,
all Internet users should take steps to limit their online activity and instead
invest in real-world activities and relationships.
Any time that Internet activity begins to threaten grades, jobs or
relationships,
it’s time to log off and pull the plug.
Welcome back.
Just before the break, we learned that more and more people are recognizing
Internet addiction as being very serious.
In fact, there are countries in Asia that have already begun addressing the
issue.
So let’s learn about some of those examples right now.
In China, for example, they have required local gaming... companies,
and of course, gaming is the word that has to do with the activity of playing
video games.
So gaming companies would be places that you could go that would have many
computers set up.
And you could go into these places and play on the computers.
So in China, these gaming companies will penalize gamers or players who play
online for more than three hours a day by cutting their points in half.
Now that doesn’t sound like much of a punishment to me.
But I think if I was a gamer and addicted to the Internet, that would be a major
punishment.
Right. I think that is, at least, a little bit to deter or to convince these
Internet addicts that, you know,
maybe it’s not a good idea to play on the Internet too much or at least uh, too
many hours a day.
So here, if you are being ”penalized” for something or uh, that means that
you’re being punished for something.
So, uh... China is ”penalizing” gamers that means that they are punishing these
players or the people who are playing games.
And in addition to that, both China and Korea have created boot camps where
addicts are denied Internet access for extended periods.
It sounds like they have to fast from the Internet if they go to boot camp.
And ”boot camp” is a term that is usually used when we talk about maybe young
crim... criminals,
who go away and they receive special treatment and very intense training in
order to help them.
They receive a lot of discipline in order to break them of their bad habits.
And in this case, it’s a boot camp to break people of the bad habit and of the
addiction of being on the Internet too much.
OK. So this would be a very serious place to go where they receive training and
discipline in very intense ways.
And these addicts would be or... here at these boot camps, they would be denied
Internet access for extended periods.
Now here we’re using the word ”extended” to modify periods or periods of time.
And here we’re simply meaning ”longer than normal,” so, a fairly long periods of
time.
Wow, that sounds like it would be very difficult to go through.
Yesterday, remember we talked about Ben Alexander who went on a 45-day fast from
the Internet at his rehab center called reSTART.
Again, that’s very difficult.
Any time someone is addicted to something, getting away from that diff... that
addiction is very hard.
So for young people who go to Internet boot camp, it would be no different.
They would have that time away from the Internet.
They wouldn’t be getting to use it everyday.
And it would take some time and some discipline to get used to.
Right. They are denied access, which means they are not allowed to use it for
longer than normal or extended periods of time.
Well, in order to prevent an addiction from forming, all Internet users should
take steps to limit their online activity.
And, not only should they take steps to limit their online activity,
but they should also take time to invest in real-world activities and
relationships.
So people should be investing and spending time doing things and activities
offline.
I think that’s such an important bit of advice.
Everybody, human beings, we need interaction with other human beings.
And if you’re on the Internet all day, you just don’t get that.
So, people who are addicted to the Internet need to really try to do their best
to get away from it.
And not only get away from it, but to find other people and to make connections
with other people.
And maybe to pick up different and new hobbies, maybe a sport or a musical
instrument,
or something like cooking that surely would help them overcome their Internet
addiction.
OK. And I think for our friends out there, if you are worried that maybe an
Internet addiction might be forming in your life,
well, pay attention to some warning signs.
Our article says that any time the Internet activity begins to threaten grades,
jobs or relationships,
then maybe it’s time to log off and pull the plug.
Chelsea, what does it mean to ”pull the plug” on something?
Well, if we physically ”pull a plug” that means we take a plug and we take it
out of the wall.
And maybe a lamp is pulled in and we unplug it, then the lamp turns off.
But here we’re talking about ”pull the plug” in a different way.
It just means that you do something which prevents an activity from continuing.
And we’re using it kind of in a couple of different ways here, because you can
physically pull the plug on the computer,
if you unplug it, you are turning it off.
But also in this way the idiom is used, ”You are just pulling the plug,” that
means you’re stopping what you’re doing.
You’re getting away from the computer.
And you’re forming relationships and doing things that are healthier.
Well, we hope that you learned a lot about Internet addiction today.
And we hope that you do not have an Internet addiction.
Well, we’ll see you back here next time on Studio Classroom.
And before we go, enjoy this skit.
You have an Internet addiction.
I do not have an addiction.
I’m just a casual surfer.
There’s one way to find out.
I’m going to turn off your computer.
Ah...
DON’T touch my computer.
That will make me angry.
A-hah! A casual surfer can switch to offline activities without such angst.
Oh... But without my Internet, I’ll be depressed.
A casual surfer doesn’t become depressed.
YOU are addicted.
Oh, no.
Is Internet addiction a serious problem?
In some countries, it’s been labeled a medical disorder.
Luckily, there are steps to address this problem.
Steps? What kind of steps?
Professional treatment and penalties.
Penalties?
Yes. Gamers that play online for too long will be penalized.
Penalized? How?
By losing half of your game points.
Oh, no! I don’t want to lose any points.
That’s for your own good.
Now pack your bags, we’re going to boot camp.
Boot camp? No!
Yes! You will be denied Internet access for an extended period of time.
Oh, no, no, no.
Don’t let this happen to you.
When Internet activities threaten grades, jobs or relationships, it’s time to
log off and turn off the computer.
Come, let’s go.
No, no. My computer...
(Chinese).
And I know you don’t want to miss what comes next.
Stay tuned.
Thank you, Michelle.
If you are 15 to 20 years old, you might not remember your life without the
Internet.
So you might think sitting in front of a computer two to four hours a day is
normal.
You might think instant messaging your brother or your roommate who is sitting
in the next room is normal.
If so, I guess we have to redefine what normal is.
I think the author’s last sentence is worth repeating.
Any time Internet activity begins to threaten grades, jobs or relationships,
it’s time to pull the plug.
Friends, be healthy.
Have a great weekend and we’ll see you all on Monday. Bye-bye.
(Music).