Stop looking at porn. Well, maybe not entirely, but cut back. In this age of information-sharing and unrivaled technological advance, interpersonal communication is taking a hit. Conversations once sealed with a handshake have given way to a genial farewell over the phone, then an online message with a smiley face attached to it.
A National Health College Assessment study reports that 13 percent of MSU students say the Internet has negatively affected their grades and creates a lack of sleep (four or fewer hours per night).
Reliance on the Internet to facilitate interpersonal communication has skyrocketed. Face-to-face relation seems antiquated, more out of date than a dial-up modem with a 36,000 bps connection.
We can joke over an instant message about an episode of "Saved by the Bell," then download songs from the "Zack Attack" soundtrack in a matter of seconds.
It's truly a glorious time to be alive. We can have anything, any time, anywhere we want it. That includes, of course, a propensity to isolate yourself, sever real-life ties with people, develop health risks and encourage an overabundant reliance on the Internet as a way of life.
Any imbalance in life is essentially unhealthy. People smoke too much, drink too much and eat too much junk food. At the risk of sounding like your parents - or worse, Ted Kaczynski and Jack White - that list now includes too much time spent on the Internet. Moderation actually is the key to truly enjoying most things in life.
It's a careful type of addiction, however. The decision to smoke cigarettes or drink enough booze to kill a small horse is a personal choice - you can say "yes" or "no." The Internet, though, is markedly different. Daily life nearly requires Internet use and access, especially for college-aged people and students. It's a tough temptation to weave around, as long as dormitories are Ethernet-ready.
But in its intent and practice, the Internet is a simplification of life, not a complication. It was designed to make life more accessible, not to categorically eliminate elements of it. With its necessity, though, comes the convenience of using it as a communicator.
That convenience is empirically positive. Communication over long distances is cheaper and easier, and ties that could have been cut off by physical distance are now bridged with a mouse click.
But that is not meant to include your suitemate, neighbor or cross-town friend. The importance of maintaining and developing new interpersonal relationships might no longer be a requisite to commerce, but it will always be a requirement of life. The ability to look someone in the eyes while speaking to them used to be a sign of confidence - now people think it's creepy.
When all contact with the outside world is forged on necessity, it's time to re-evaluate lifestyle choices. If a trip outside the computer room is to a bathroom, ATM or fast food restaurant - or all of the above - the opportunity for severely hindered interpersonal skills is increased exponentially.
Unfortunately, expanded Internet time is overlooked. It's easy to spend a few hours logged on and not realize the time. But when the amount of time "slipping by" goes from minutes to hours to days to months, Internet addiction can be a very real thing.
Although, if you're reading this on The State News Web site, please read everything else. If not, venture down the hall or visit a neighbor. You might be surprised at how much time can slip by that way.
