C4T #4 Summary

Learning with 'e's

Steve Wheeler is an Associate Professor of learning technology in the Plymouth Institute of Education at Plymouth University. 

Sleepless in Cyberspace

In this post, Mr. Wheeler addresses how people have become dependent on the technology they carry around with them. "Computer dependency is defined as 'relying on computers to fulfill a need or compulsion'." He asks, "Have you ever for example, been without your mobile phone or other device for a period of time and suffered 'with drawl symptoms'?" He describes how he handled being disconnected from all of his devices, which he deliberately left at home, while on holiday. He said the first two days were pretty tough, because he was worried about all the text messages or calls he might miss and what people would think of him if he didn't reply. He also obsessed over the fact that his email would pile up and he would have to deal with that when he got back home. He say that, he eventually began to relax, and although he still thought about his online life, it was no longer an obsession and he was able to enjoy his holiday.

Mr. Wheeler discusses two psychological theories that may help people to understand the phenomenon of computer dependency. The first is Julian Rotter's locus of control theory. According to Wheeler, Rotter's locus of control  theory" may explain some of the discomfort we experience when we feel we have lost control over our online lives." When we are disconnected from the internet or have to go without mobile devices, we may become emotional wrecks. Mr. Wheeler describes his daughter after her cell phone had been stolen. He says she was upset and tearfully told him "she had lost all her friends." The lost of her cell phone made her believe she had lost all contact with her friends. The second is Leon Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory. Have you ever spent more time online than you knew you should have? Have you found yourself spending hours surfing the net, playing online games, or surfing around a social networking site when you know you should have been doing something else? Do you come up with excuses trying to justify your actions? These actions are how Festinger's theory relate to computer dependency. "According to Festinger, this is the result of cognitive dissonance - where a conflict of beliefs can be 'resolved' by a form of rationalisation - usually excuse making that justifies doing what you know is bad for you."

My Comment:

I am not dependent on my iphone, honestly I can go days without it. However, I am currently playing this game on my iPad and I have found myself spending far too much time playing it, when I know I should be doing more important things. The story about your daughter is very interesting and reminds me of my youngest sister. She left her phone in my mother's car and was upset because my mother went to work with the phone in the car. A little time had passed and she came into the room with a sad look on her face. I asked her, "Whats wrong?" Her reply: "I just wish I had my cell phone."