Thursday, May 22, 2003

Internet and Self Exploration

 Individual Categories
By: Johanes Papua
Jakarta, 22.05.2003

Is the Internet can be used as a tool for self exploration? The question is not without reason considering that many sites that display a variety of EQ and IQ test. Besides this virtual world technology provides many opportunities for individuals to express themselves uniquely. However, the psychologist believes that if someone fails to integrate between the true self with the self that are expressed differently on the internet, then this would be very dangerous for the person’s personal growth.

Regarding the impact of the Internet as a tool of self exploration, the psychologists consider it depending on the individual user. Of course the Internet would be useful if they can improve a person’s life, and vice versa to make a mess of disease if the person’s life. Adverse effects would occur if the Internet is used as a means to isolate themselves. Many people do not realize that he was eventually closed to social communication either because keasikan ngebrowse or because the Internet is used as an escape from the problems associated with his personality. It can happen because there are individuals that display different personalities at the time of online with offline. The motivation behind it is certainly different from one person to another. The problem will be complicated if the reason is because the individual is not satisfied / love with himself (probably because the feeling inferior, ashamed, or feel does not deserve), then creates and displays a very different personality from his original. Often he preferred the personality of the new engineered for looks ideal for him. In fact, according to the psychologist, this is not true and not healthy. Why is that?


Michelle Weil, a renowned psychologist and author, gives concrete examples about a girl who was shunned by her friends and then spend the time to behind chitchatting ria by displaying a very contradictory character with its original character. As a result, over time he became distant with the existing social fact, not even able to accept yourself as is. According to well-known experts such as Erich Fromm psychoanalysis, this condition is called neurosis. Neuroses of prolonged conditions will cause a serious mental disorder. Michelle further added, its latent danger is the formation of an online personality different from the original.

Of course there are positive effects from the use (not addiction), the Internet against individual personality. Reid Steele, a sociologist from Los Angeles said, if someone uses the Internet as a medium of self exploration with full consciousness, he will experience growth as a result of the reflection of himself in full via the Internet.

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