THE PENDULUM
NEWS
WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 16. 2009 // PAGE 5
ReSTART addresses increased Internet addictions
Caitlin O’Donnell
Reporter
In a world where Facebook, Google
and Twitter have become household
names, creators of the ReSTART
Recovery Program in Fall City, Wash,
hope to combat the growing problem
of Internet addiction that has been
popping up.
According to the program’s
Web site, the center is “oriented
toward launching tech dependent
youth and adults back into the real
world.”
Specifically, the addiction
center is meant to help individuals
with obsessive overuse of any
technology-based activity. Beyond
just eBay and Twitter, texting and
video games are also addressed.
Though many parents are
hesitant to admit their children
are addicted, the effects can be
severe.
Hilarie Cash, executive director
of the program, developed a list of
signs and symptoms for families
and friends to look for. These
include “feeling restless when not
engaged in the activity ... feeling
guilty, ashamed, anxious or
depressed as a result of behavior
... (and) physical changes such as
weight gain or loss, backaches,
headaches or carpal tunnel
syndrome.”
Internet addicts, according to
ReSTARTmaterial,withdrawalmost
completely from daily activities,
which dramatically affects their
schoolwork, relationships, jobs
and real human development.
In the past, patients with these
symptoms were treated only on
an outpatient basis. ReSTART now
provides a place for them to be sent
with an actual program to follow.
The curriculum of the center
includes life skills exposure
coaching, which reviews the basic
aspects of a rewarding life and
vocational and career highlights,
which train participants in various
trade skills and individual and
group therapy.
Internet addiction is a relatively
new phenomenon in the realm of
addictions and illnesses. Without a
significant foundation of research
on the subject, many argue it
is difficult to gauge whether
the program’s approach of total
withdrawal will be successful.
The directors of the program
do understand addiction often
coincides with other mental
health conditions and underlying
problems. Patients are treated on
an individual basis with attention
placed on issues such as divorce,
trauma, depression or ADHD,
which often propel addiction.
It is still unclear if Internet
addiction will be classified as a
separate illness, and if treatment
will be covered by insurance.
“In the research surveys I have
conducted for the Pew Internet
Project, we have found that most
people recognize that there are
and will be growing numbers of
people who have trouble keeping
their life balance right in light of
the enticements they find online,”
Janna Anderson, associate
professor of communications,
said.
Anderson is the director of
Imaging the Internet, a project that
predicts the future of information
and communiction.
These enticements are
particularly strong for college
students, sophomore Chelsea
Erskine said.
“The majority of our work for
class is done online, so Facebook
and Twitter are always accessible,”
Erskine said. “And having wireless
connection anywhere on campus
makes it so much easier to use the
Internet as a free time filler.”
Though not everyone who uses
the Internet daily can be classified
as an addict, Anderson said it
is important to be watchful for
the warning signs of a serious
problem.
“It is up to individuals and their
families and friends to find the
boundaries that work best for them
and to stick to them, whether they
are online using Facebook, World of
Warcraft, Twitter or whatever they
find fascinating,” Anderson said.
Daily internet Activities
(S internet users)
I % w ho do this on a typical day
49%
39%
28% 29% 30% H ^ I
Visit social Surf web Research Chech Oieck Online Bnail
networking for fun hobby weather news search
site
As it hnr-nmoc mnro ^ i i * . COURTESYOFWWW MARKETINGCHABTS.COM
« —f? Of a part of daily life, Internet use comprises different uses. The top reason for use is
e-mail, while visiting social networking sites makes up the fewest percent of Internet users.
ARE YOU ADDICTED?
1. Do you find it difficult to stop using the Internet when you’re online?
2. Do you continue to use the Internet despite your intention to stop?
3. Do others say you should use the Internet less?
4. Do you prefer to use the Internet instead of spending tinne with others?
5. Are you often short of sleep because of the Internet?
6. Do you think about the Internet, even when not online?
7. Do you look forward to your next Internet session?
8. Do you think you should use the Internet less?
9. Have you often unsuccessfully tried to spend less time on the Internet?
10. Do you rush through your work in order to go on the Internet?
11. Do you neglect your daily obligations because you prefer to go on the Internet?
12. Do you go on the Internet when you are feeling down?
13. Do you use the Internet to escape from your sorrows or get relief from negative
feelings?
14. Do you feel restless, frustrated or irritated when you cannot use the Internet?
INFORMATION COURTESY OF WWW.NETADDICTIONRECOVERY.COM
College graduate holds ‘great expectations’ for classic literature Web site
I
^nior English
students learn
DAVID WELLS | Photographer
major Jenna McNair said she feels 60secondrecap.com can help
the text of classical novels, such as Pride & Prejudice, quicker.
Rebecca Smith
Senior Reporter
YouTube, Facebook and
blogs are all kinds of interactive
media that are needed in today’s
society to gain the younger
generations’ attention. This
concept was applied to classical
literature last week when a new
Web site, 60secondrecap.com,
went live.
The Web site’s star, jenny
Sawyer, just graduated from
Bryn Mawr College in Bryn
Mawrm, Pa. With the help of a
small team. Sawyer is writing
and shooting more than 1,000
free one-minute videos that
are meant to help students
understand, and possibly
enjoy, classic pieces of
literature that are commonly
assigned in the classroom.
Sawyer is the only one
who appears on camera and
is not afraid to show off
her quirks to get viewers to
remember the material. With
her constant outfit changes,
one for each book, and her
animated talking style.
Sawyer resembles a young and
fashionable modern English
teacher, the type of teacher
few people had in high school.
“I think this would help,
especially in more dense
books,” senior English major
Allison Beck. “In my current
class we are reading ‘The Iliad.’
I could see how people would
benefit from videos that place
the book in a modern context,
and these videos could apply
to different learning styles.”
These interactive guides
are meant to appeal to young
students more than Cliff Notes
or other written study aids.
“The videos are visual
and a quicker overview than
Cliff Notes, so they would be
better for visual or auditory
learners,” senior English major
Jenna McNair said. “1 could see
people being interested in the
Web site, but it needs more
exposure.”
Eventually, there will be
more than 100 books covered
on the site. Right now there are
five classic works, including
“Great Expectations,” “Of Mice
and Men,” “Romeo and Juliet,”
“The Catcher in the Rye” and
“The Great Gatsby.”
For each book, there are
at least 10 60-second videos.
There is one video that serves
as an overview for the whole
book, at least two videos that
break down the plot further, a
video on the main characters,
at least two videos on the
themes of the book, a video
on the symbols, a video on
the motifs and a conclusion
video.
“I do not think the videos
will really be beneficial to
prepare for tests with,” said
Kevin Boyle, chair of the
English department. “They
are more for people who want
to listen to a conversation
about the book.”
Sawyer and company are
trying to entice advertisers
to fund the project, but some
worry the integrity of the site
may be lost in the process.
“The section looking for
advertisers concerned me
because having a corporation
advertise alongside these
pieces of literature may take
away from the stories being
told,” McNair said. “If one
of the novels has a view that
is against status quo, there
may be a conflict between
the author’s view and the
corporation's view, and I
would not want the summary
to leave out parts to please the
advertisers.”
There is also a section
on the Web site with five
videos all about Sawyer,
and another section where
Sawyer recommends a book,
not classical literature, to
her viewers. Viewers are also
allowed to leave videos with
their commentary.
Sawyer was an English
literature major and is
currently a freelance writer
for The Christian Science
Monitor. Sawyer told USA
Today she hopes to be “the big
sister you're just dying to talk
to before class because you
just did not get the symbols in
this book.”
Her passion for literature is
evident, but some wonder if a
10-minute summary is going to
cheat students in the long run.
“It would be so sad if
someone watched the videos
on the Web site for ‘The Great
Gatsby’ instead of reading the
book,” Boyle said. “The book is
so beautifully written and the
videos do not compare in that
regard.”