The Internet is a fount of information that rivals the world's best libraries and a source of entertainment designed to brighten any day. It also has its dark side, and, psychologists Philip Zimbardo and Nikita Duncan see that overshadowing the good--at least for young men.
The two have written a book and a column for CNN that claims an "arousal addiction" to video games or pornography is robbing young men of their futures because the "initial attraction of online gambling or pornography leads to a demand for still more until addiction sets in."
This obsessive behavior makes young men "risk averse" and unwilling to "navigate the complexities and risks inherent in real-life relationships, school and employment," the two concluded.
Of course, on the positive side, you can become addicted to learning. That's the goal of an online math-learning program that uses a variety of video games to teach kindergarten through 5th graders in Amarillo, Texas.
These kids, rather than shrinking away from responsibility are "thinking on a higher level," said Will Rogers Elementary fourth grade teacher Lisa Moon. "They are able to really problem solve. I see they're working together; they're encouraging one another."
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