The computer is a new reality in our life, and man, due to his evolution, is not adapted to constantly work with it. Therefore, issues related to the influence of a computer on human health are better considered from a preventive point of view than to treat diseases that suddenly appear.
Just want to answer the question: is it harmful to sit at a computer? I believe that the benefits of a computer when used wisely are much more than harm. Nevertheless, he who is forewarned is armed.
The influence of a computer on human health is characterized by:
- a permanent sitting position,
- great eye strain,
- as well as neuro-emotional stress associated with the influence of the computer on the human psyche.
The danger of a computer to health is manifested in the fact that the impact of the listed problems on human health does not manifest itself immediately, but only after some time.
The main factors affecting human health when working at a computer:
- flickering of the monitor (affects the eyes),
- electromagnetic radiation,
- noise (annoying)
- impact on the psyche,
- constrained posture (acts on the spine),
- room microclimate (humidity, dustiness),
- mode of operation (required rest breaks).
Let's take a closer look at some of the factors. Read about heavy eye strain during prolonged work with a computer in the article "", about prevention:
The issues of influence on the psyche, Internet addiction are serious topics and require separate consideration.
I am not inclined to exaggerate the questions. radiation computer. We "receive" no less dose of electromagnetic radiation, for example, from a mobile phone, TV or microwave, and the electrical wiring along the wall also emits.
Previously, the main source of radiation in a personal computer was cathode ray tube monitors, which are now becoming obsolete. Modern LCD monitors are considered to be much safer in terms of radiation.
For the prevention of respiratory organs it is necessary to ventilate the room where the computer works several times a day and carry out wet cleaning. It is advisable to use an ionizer (for example, a Chizhevsky chandelier).
To increase humidity, you can put an open container with water. This can be an aquarium with fish (it increases the humidity, and the fish soothes the nerves), a decorative waterfall (again, it increases the humidity, and the pouring water acts as an ionizer).
More difficult is the question related to diseases of muscles and joints... A monotonous sitting position contributes to numbness in the neck, pain in the shoulders and lower back, tingling in the legs. People who work professionally at the computer, as well as those who have a sedentary job, suffer from changes in the shape of the spine and general muscle weakness. But here, in my opinion, one can only advise to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
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RELEVANCE OF THE TOPIC In recent years, humanity is faced with the global computerization of all types of human activity. The personal computer has become our companion at home. Children cannot do without a computer. HYPOTHESIS It is almost impossible to live without a computer now. Internet, chats, forums - these words have long and firmly entered our life. But along with them such new concepts as "Internet addiction" and "gambling addiction" entered our life. The number of people suffering from "typically computer" diseases - visual impairment, curvature of the spine and other unpleasant diseases - has increased. But nevertheless, the computer does not bring only troubles, sometimes it helps a lot, and we want to show “both sides of the coin”.
Mainly expressed in two main forms: Internet addiction (Internet addiction) excessive passion for computer games. Common features of computer addiction are a characteristic series of psychological and physical symptoms that are closely related to each other: Psychological symptoms: well-being or euphoria at the computer; inability to stop; an increase in the amount of time spent at the computer; neglect of family and friends; feelings of emptiness, depression, irritation not at the computer; lying to family members about their activities; problems with work or study. Physical symptoms: dry eyes; migraine-type headaches; back pain; irregular meals, skipping meals; neglect of personal hygiene; sleep disorders, changes in sleep patterns. DEPENDENCE ON MODERN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES
THE TERM "INTERNET - DEPENDENCE" was coined by Dr. Ivan Goldberg in 1996 to describe the pathological, irresistible urge to use the Internet. He proceeded from the assumption that a person can develop psychological dependence not only on external factors, but also on his own actions and emotions. For the first time, a scientific approach to the study of the phenomenon of "Internet addiction" was demonstrated by Kimberly Young in 1996, who posted an original test on one of the Internet sites to identify Internet addicts. According to Kimberly Young's research, dangerous signals (harbingers of Internet addiction) are: obsessive urge to constantly check e-mail; anticipation of the next online session; increased time spent online; an increase in the amount of money spent online.
DEPENDENCE ON COMPUTER GAMES Game addicts have a constant need to play. Addicts are constantly in a state of depressed mood in the real world, as evidenced by high anxiety and depression. What happens to them during the game is more or less objectively difficult to identify, since any distraction from the game is a way out of virtual reality. During the game, their mood improves significantly, there are positive emotions. Positive emotions, accompanied by a rise in mood, But after the game, i.e. after leaving the virtual world, the mood deteriorates again, quickly returning to the initial level, remaining on it until the next "entry" into the virtual world. Most addicts are people with a number of family problems, problems at work, school. Therefore, for a game addict, the real world is boring, uninteresting and full of dangers. As a result, a person tries to live in another world - a virtual one, where everything is allowed, where he sets the rules of the game. It is logical to assume that the exit from virtual reality is painful for the addict - he again encounters a reality hated by him, which causes a decrease in mood and activity, a feeling of deterioration in well-being.
GAMER'S PSYCHOLOGY "Gamers" are people who use a computer mostly just for the sake of games. Numerous studies show gamers rarely watch TV and hardly read newspapers and magazines. The audience of gamers is far from small. The core is comprised of people aged 20 to 44, with the second largest group of gamers being young people aged 10 to 19. Research has shown that 44% of players have a college degree.
WHAT GAMES DO TEENS PLAY? Conventionally, the entire set of games can be divided into several main types. The most common types are 3D Action (usually all kinds of "adventure", "washcloth", "flying", "racing") and Logic ("arcade", "quests", "strategies"). Actually, there are many more game styles, but 3D Action and Logic are the most striking and beloved. Any play style is interesting in its own way and develops a certain mindset of the player. The original meaning of the games was a kind of rest from the monotonous everyday life. But sometimes this rest develops into a psychological dependence on the computer. At a scientific conference in Holland on computer games, scientists noted that gamers have increased activity in the same areas of the brain as drug addicts and alcoholics.
Computer games using VR (virtual reality) technology can be prescribed to children with severe burns as an additional pain reliever, according to BBC News. Australian doctors at Adelaide Hospital believe that immersion in the world of monsters and aliens helps to overcome pain in such patients. Seven burn victims, aged 5 to 18, were asked to play VR games during a lengthy dressing change procedure. At the same time, children who were given traditional painkillers also tolerated the dressing much easier. Two miniature computer screens fixed on the head and a special sensor, which allowed children to move inside the virtual world and shoot monsters, were used as "play" anesthesia. Doctors explain this effect by the fact that children, switching to experiences inside the game, stop concentrating on their own painful sensations. Researchers believe it is possible to find games that are most effective in a given age group. COMPUTER GAMES AS ANALMIC
The United States Federal Mediation Service is proposing to expand the standard elementary school curriculum with a special course that will help teach children to resolve conflicts peacefully. According to statistics compiled by American analysts, every third elementary school student complains of negative attitudes and bullying from their peers. As the main element of the new training course, it is proposed to use a computer game called "A good school in which the laws of peace are in force." In this game with animated characters and "come to life" objects, children are invited to find ways out of conflict situations, choosing one of four possible scenarios. After the child makes his choice, he is shown the consequences of the decision. Cool School: Where Peace Rules is currently an experimental project. However, the US Federal Mediation Service is already looking for private investors in order to distribute the game to all schools in the country. RESOLVE CONFLICTS IN PEACEFUL
SOCIOLOGISTS DRAWED A PORTRAIT OF A TYPICAL INTERNET USER According to a survey conducted in 14 countries of the world, the portrait of a typical Internet “inhabitant” is about the same everywhere. He reads a lot of books, devotes more time to social life than "unconnected" associates, and spends no more than five hours a week in front of the TV. It was also noted that men spend more time at the computer than women. Although there are exceptions here. For example, in Taiwan, both sexes spend almost equal time on the Internet (25% of men and 23.5% of women). China is the leader in Internet communication. It is the Chinese who most of all discuss political topics, hobbies or religious issues with their colleagues in various forums and chats.
TEST FOR COMPUTER DEPENDENCE Studying the literature, we found out that computer games have an important influence on the formation of certain personality traits in every student. In addition, with significant overload, they may experience health problems (redness of the eyes and headache). Therefore, it is necessary to diagnose the behavior of schoolchildren while playing on the computer, to explain the negative impact of games. To diagnose the state of the player, it is proposed to use a computer test containing 8 questions and possible answers. computer test Testing of 69 people showed that 46 people are interested in the game, 22 are passionate about, and 1 is already in the stage of addiction, which needs to be paid special attention to.
We think that the guys should think about ... At least about how much time they spend at the computer. They need to be taught to control their time in general (and above all - the time spent at the computer), their emotions and feelings. Students are recommended to spend at the computer no more than 2-3 hours a day and play less. Better to learn something or learn in a playful way. Sanitary rules determine that the duration of continuous work of an adult PC user should not exceed 2 hours, a child - from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on age. The minimum break is 15 minutes. SURVEY OF SCHOOL STUDENTS (38 people) 1. Do you have a computer?
CONCLUSION The problem of the influence of a computer on a person is very broad and multifaceted. The work "Influence of the computer on the human psyche" has replenished our knowledge about how unsafe it is to work on a computer. Studying the literature, we learned that in addition to "netomania", recently another disease with similar symptoms, "gambling addiction", has been loudly declaring itself. Children and adolescents are especially susceptible to gambling syndrome. They can seriously associate themselves with virtual "ducks" and "thoughts" and painfully experience their failures. In the world of violent games, it is very difficult to grow up for a person with a normal psyche, so parents need to keep track of what games their child is playing and the length of their interaction with the computer. As a result of research work, it was found that the Internet has become the greatest illusion of the 21st century. The only problem with it is the difficulty of returning to the real world. While working on our research work, we learned that a computer can become a friend or a sworn enemy, it can help in trouble, or it can add a bunch of problems, it can help to find like-minded people, or it can lead to loneliness.
REFERENCES 1. Vasilyeva I.N., Osipova E.M., Petrova N.N. Psychological aspects of the application of information technologies // Questions of psychology Minakova A.V. Psychological characteristics of persons prone to Internet addiction Elkonin D.B. Psychology of the game. M., Fomicheva Yu.V., Shmelev A.G., Burmistrov I.V. Psychological correlates of enthusiasm for computer games // Bulletin of Moscow State University. Ser 14. Psychology
Introduction
1. Information environment and its impact on the human psyche
1.1 Types of information and psychological impact
1.2 Definition of the concept of information and psychological security
2. Classification of methods of psychological influence
2.1 Psychological addiction to computer games
2.2 The mechanism of the formation of psychological dependence on role-playing computer games
Conclusion
Literature
Introduction
Today there is no longer any doubt that the new 21st century is the century of information and scientific knowledge. The development of the global process of informatization of society, which covers all developed and many developing countries of the world community, including Russia, leads to the formation of a new information environment for people and a new, informational way of life and professional activity.
The information sphere, being a system-forming factor in the life of society, actively influences the state of the political, economic, defense and other components of the security of the Russian Federation.
The state of the information environment of society has a very significant impact on the state of the psyche of people, the stereotypes of their behavior in society and personal life, on their moral standards, moral criteria and spiritual values.
This influence became especially noticeable in the last decades of the 20th century, when information and communication processes in society have significantly increased due to its universal informatization, and the transition from a totalitarian state to a democratic one has spawned in many countries, including Russia, an increase in chaotic processes in the information sphere. ... In this regard, in the last 5-7 years, society has begun to realize a new global problem - information and psychological security.
1. Information environment and its impact on the human psyche
1.1 Types of information and psychological impact
Depending on the information technology used, several means of information and psychological influence are distinguished: oral influence, including with the use of acoustic means of voice amplification and noise effects; impact associated with the use of printed products; exposure using television and radio communications; impact based on the use of computer technology and the Internet.
It is important to note that the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation does not provide for measures to combat websites containing information that may adversely affect the psyche, behavior and spiritual health of the younger generation. In this regard, there is a need to improve legislation in the field of information to ensure the protection of minors from computer crimes, from unwanted information, as well as to limit the access of children to this kind of information by the Internet resources themselves.
In recent years, the potential of the computer itself has much less influence on the education system than, for example, the “primitive models of behavior” that are implanted in computer games and the emasculated advertising style of messages of the “screen culture” of the Internet. Internetization has a massive effect on the psyche, modification of the behavior of individuals.
On the other hand, the Internet has the opportunity to take a certain place in the education system, acting as a factor in increasing its efficiency and modernization. Currently, science is taking the first steps towards a pedagogical understanding of the penetration of new communication technologies (NKT) into education.
At the moment, it is no longer in doubt that the impact that the Internet can have on a user's personality is deeper and more systemic than the impact of any other technological system.
1.2 Definition of the concept of information and psychological security
In many studies devoted to the problems of information security, the main attention is paid to the problems of information security of states, economic and legal structures, information systems, etc. (5; 13; 11; 10, etc.). Unfortunately, behind these diverse manifestations of the human world, the person himself is usually lost - the personality. But after all, it is the development of the personality, the disclosure of its creative potential that is the highest goal of progress, the decisive justification of its costs, and it is the personality that should become the subject of the first concern and protection from possible threats, including information.
Today, information search on the Internet gives more than 2.5 thousand sites where the category of "psychological safety" is mentioned. Analysis of their content allows us to single out two areas of research: psychological security in the information sphere; and psychological safety as a means of protection against destructive cults and totalitarian sects.
According to the definition of the Vice-President of the Academy of Informatization of Education, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher of the Institute of Informatics Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, “information and psychological security is now commonly understood as the state of protection of citizens, their individual groups and social strata, as well as the population in on the whole from negative information and psychological influences ”.
2. Classification of methods of psychological influence
There are various classifications of methods of psychological influence. Experts distinguish between such types as:
1.spontaneous influences due to technological modes of functioning of certain information systems (for example, electromagnetic radiation from communication, computer or television equipment);
2. deliberate influences on a person for the purpose of explicit or latent inducement to certain actions (psychotropic; informational and propagandistic; psychoanalytic; neurolinguistic; psychotronic.
Researchers note their following main features: high professionalism in organizing such influences that can be prepared only by persons with special psychological knowledge and experience; the use of new forms and means of latent influence on the individual, group and mass consciousness of people (the so-called psychological technologies); the appearance in recent years of psychophysical (psychotropic) weapons, that is, technogenic means, the use of which can have a remote effect on mental functions and the work of physiological organs and systems of a person. We will consider in more detail the psychological impact of computer games on a person.
2.1 Psychological addiction to computer games
There are four stages in the development of psychological dependence on computer games, each of which has its own specifics. With regard to this aspect, we recall that all theoretical calculations are based on the study of the influence of role-playing computer games, but the possibility of their spread to other games and types of computer activities is not excluded.
1. Stage of easy infatuation... After a person has played a role-playing computer game one or several times, he begins to "feel the taste", he begins to like computer graphics, sound, the very fact of imitation of real life or some fantastic stories. Someone all their life dreamed of shooting from a light machine gun, someone - to sit behind the wheel of a Ferrari or at the helm of a combat fighter.
The computer allows a person, with a fairly close proximity to reality, to make these dreams come true. An unconscious need to take on a role begins to materialize. A person enjoys playing a computer game, which is accompanied by positive emotions. Human nature is such that he seeks to repeat actions that give pleasure, satisfy needs. As a result, a person begins to play no longer by chance, finding himself at the computer, the desire for gaming activity takes on a certain purposefulness. However, the specificity of this stage is that playing computer games is more situational than systematic. A stable, constant need for play at this stage is not formed; play is not a significant value for a person.
2. Stage of passion... A factor indicating the transition of a person to this stage of dependence formation is the emergence of a new need in the hierarchy of needs - playing computer games. In fact, the new need is only generically designated by us as the need for a computer game. In fact, the structure of the need is much more complex, its true nature depends on the individual psychological characteristics of the personality itself. In other words, the urge to play is rather a motivation determined by the need to escape from reality and accept a role.
Playing computer games at this stage becomes systematic. If a person does not have permanent access to a computer, i.e. satisfaction of the need is frustrated, quite active actions are possible to eliminate frustrating circumstances.
3. Stage of addiction... According to Spanchel's data, only 10-14% of the players are "avid", ie. are presumably at the stage of psychological dependence on computer games.
This stage is characterized not only by a shift in the need for play to the lower level of the pyramid of needs, but also by other, no less serious changes - in the value-sense sphere of the individual. According to A.G. Shmelev, there is an internalization of the locus of control, a change in self-esteem and self-awareness.
Dependency can take one of two forms: socialized and individualized .
The socialized form of gambling addiction is distinguished by maintaining social contacts with society (although mainly with the same gaming fans). Such people are very fond of playing together, playing using a computer network with each other. Game motivation is mostly competitive in nature. This form of addiction is less harmful in its effect on the human psyche than the individualized form.
The difference is that people do not break away from society, do not withdraw "into themselves"; the social environment, although consisting of the same fans, nevertheless, as a rule, does not allow a person to completely break away from reality, "go" into the virtual world and bring himself to mental and somatic disorders.
For individuals with an individualized form of addiction, such prospects are much more real. This is an extreme form of dependence, when not only normal human features of the worldview are violated, but also interaction with the outside world. The main function of the psyche is violated - it begins to reflect not the impact of the objective world, but virtual reality. These people often play alone for a long time, their need for play is on the same level with basic physiological needs. For them, a computer game is a kind of drug. If for some time they do not "take a dose", then they begin to feel dissatisfaction, experience negative emotions, fall into depression. It is a clinical case, psychopathology, or a way of life leading to pathology. In this regard, we will not dwell on this in detail in this work, since this issue requires a separate study.
4. Stage of attachment... This stage is characterized by the extinction of a person's play activity, a shift in the psychological content of the personality as a whole towards the norm. The relationship of a person with a computer at this stage can be compared with a not tightly but tightly sewn button. Those. a person “keeps his distance” from a computer, but cannot completely break away from psychological attachment to computer games. This is the longest of all stages - it can last a lifetime, depending on the rate at which the attachment decays. Computer games do not have a long history, however, there are cases of complete extinction of the addiction of a unit. A person can stop in the formation of addiction at one of the previous stages, then the addiction fades away faster. But if a person goes through all three stages of the development of psychological dependence on computer games, then he will be at this stage for a long time. The decisive factor here is the fact to what level the value of the dependence will decrease after passing the maximum. The stronger the decline, the less time the dependence will fade away. However, there is reason to assume that the dependence will never pass completely, but we cannot confirm this experimentally. It should also be noted such a fact as a possible short-term increase in gambling addiction due to the emergence of new interesting games. After the game is "comprehended" by a person, the strength of addiction returns to its original level.
Thus, splitting the process of the formation of gambling addiction into stages seems to us an important step towards the study of the phenomenon of cyberadication, since assumes a typology of addicts, based on their fixation at a certain stage of addiction.
As for the study of gambling addiction by the method of constructing analogies with drug addiction, this method can be considered quite reasonable and very effective, since analogies really do exist. However, with this approach, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of gambling addiction associated with the inevitability of its arbitrary extinction.
2.2 The mechanism of the formation of psychological dependence on role-playing computer games
The process of the mechanism of "pulling" a person into gambling addiction is based on partially unconscious aspirations and needs: withdrawal from reality and acceptance of a role.
These mechanisms work independently of the person's consciousness and the nature of the motivation for playing activity, turning on immediately after a person gets acquainted with role-playing computer games and starts more or less regularly playing them. Those. Regardless of what a person is guided by and what drives him, when he first starts playing computer games, the mechanisms for the formation of addiction are turned on, and in the future, the need on which the prevailing mechanism is based becomes paramount in motivating play activity. So, let's take a look at each of these mechanisms in sequence.
Escape from reality... The basis of this mechanism is a person's need to "remove" from everyday troubles and problems, a kind of transformation of the need to conserve energy. It is not by chance that we use the term “escape from reality” and not “escape from society”, which is mentioned by some authors of works on similar topics. The point is that we mean not just the environment, society, society, but objective reality as a whole. You can get away from society through a variety of methods, including non-role computer games. However, one can escape from reality only by “plunging” into another reality - virtual.
The psychological aspects of the mechanism are based on the natural desire of a person to get rid of all sorts of problems and troubles associated with everyday life. A role-playing computer game is a simple and affordable way of simulating another world or such life situations in which a person has never been and will never be in reality. This is an easy way to live in a different life, where there are no problems, no work to go to every day, no hassle of making money for a living, etc. In this sense, it may seem that role-playing computer games serve as a means of relieving stress, reducing the level of depression, i.e. a kind of therapeutic method. However, the use of role-playing games in this capacity is questionable, although it seems quite possible. In practice, people usually abuse this way of escaping reality, lose their sense of proportion, playing for a long time. As a result, there is a danger of not temporary, but complete detachment from reality, the formation of a very strong psychological dependence on the computer.
The process of the beneficial influence of role-playing games is represented as follows: a person “leaves” for a while in virtuality in order to relieve stress, distract from problems, etc. And in pathological clinical cases, the opposite happens: a person temporarily "leaves" the virtuality into the real world, so as not to forget what he looks like and to satisfy his physiological needs. The rest of the pyramid of needs is shifted to virtual reality and is satisfied there. The real world begins to seem alien and full of dangers, because a person cannot in the real world do everything that is allowed to him in the virtual one. One computer addict who is fond of mainly 3D-Action games (“three-dimensional action”, view “from the eyes”) said: “When I get up from the computer and go out into the street, I miss the weapons that I have in the game. Without it, I feel defenseless, so I try to come home as soon as possible and sit down to play again. " we see that the constant withdrawal from reality leads to the strengthening of this desire, to the emergence of a stable need to escape from reality. Here we find analogies with drugs and drug addiction: with each dose taken, the strength of the addiction increases; with every hour of the game, the dependence on it increases and soon it becomes impossible for a person to do without a computer game.
Taking on the role... It is based on the need for play as such, which is inherent in humans. And also the desire to accept the role of a computer character, which allows a person to satisfy needs that, for some reason, are not able to be satisfied in real life.
Role-playing games, especially in childhood, are part of human cognitive activity. All children play games, consciously taking on the role of adults, satisfying the unconscious need for knowledge of the world around them. With age, role-playing games are replaced by intellectual ones and a person very rarely has the opportunity to take on the role of another person, although a subconscious need for this remains: the driver wants to look at the world through the eyes of a pilot, a man wants to be in the role of a woman, a loser, rejected by society, dreams of being a leader for at least a minute ... The need for knowledge of the world is a modified research instinct inherited by humans from animals. Presumably, this need is in the unconscious, since in most cases, it is partially or completely unaware of a person. However, the lack of awareness of the need does not indicate its absence or weakness as a motivating factor; rather, on the contrary, unconscious needs have a greater influence on our behavior than conscious ones.
Research instinct in animals and cognitive need in humans are powerful enough motivating factors and often completely determine behavior. An animal, driven by a research instinct, forgets about the danger and can die for the sake of this thirst for knowledge. Those. the exploratory instinct of an animal can suppress even a very powerful instinct for self-preservation. Proponents of cognitive psychology also prove this; for them, the cognitive need is the main driving force of personality development and a source of activity. Role play is a very effective way of learning. In the process of role play, an unconscious cognitive need is satisfied, as a result of which a person gets pleasure.
The very mechanism of dependence formation is based on the resulting need to accept a role. After a person has played a computer game one or several times, he realizes that his computer hero and the virtual world itself can satisfy those needs of a person that are not satisfied in real life. This computer hero is respected, his opinion is taken into account, he is strong, he can kill hundreds of enemies at once, he is a superman, and it is very pleasant for a person to enter the role of this character, to feel like him, tk. in real life, most people do not have the opportunity to experience such sensations. Further, the more a person plays, the more he begins to feel the contrast between “they are real” and “they are virtual”, which even more attracts a person to a role-playing computer game and removes him from real life. The game turns into a means of compensating for life's problems, the personality begins to be realized in the game world, and not in the real one. Of course, this entails a number of serious problems in the development of the personality, in the formation of self-awareness and self-esteem, as well as in the higher spheres of the personality structure. In this work, we will not dwell on the influence of computer games on a person's personality, since this issue requires additional scientific research.
Thus, there are two main psychological mechanisms for the formation of dependence on role-playing computer games: the need to escape from reality and to accept the role of another. They always work at the same time, but one of them can surpass the other in the power of influence on the formation of addiction. Both mechanisms are based on the process of compensating for negative life experiences, and therefore there is reason to assume that they will not work if a person is completely satisfied with his life, does not have psychological problems and considers his life to be happy and productive. However, there are very few such people, so most people will be considered potentially predisposed to the formation of psychological dependence on role-playing computer games.
Conclusion
The problem of the influence of a computer on a person is very extensive and multifaceted. Computer games have one of the strongest influences in terms of the strength and depth of their influence on a person's personality, as well as in the psychological mechanisms of the formation of addiction. In this regard, role-playing games occupy the first place, which are of the greatest interest in scientific research.
1. Role-playing games must be separated from non-role-playing games, because they differ significantly in the motivation of play activity, the reasons for the formation of dependence in the power of influence on the human psyche.
2. Proceeding from this, the psychological classification of computer games should be based on the division of games into role-playing and non-role-playing, and not on the degree of involvement of various mental functions.
3. When considering the formation of psychological dependence on computer games, one should take into account its specificity - a sharp decrease in the value of dependence after passing the "maximum", in connection with which the game dependence cannot be fully compared with other forms of dependence.
4. Avoiding reality and the need to accept a role - maybe not everything, but the basic needs on which the mechanism of the formation of psychological dependence on computer games is based.
So, humanity is immersed in computers and computer networks, every day more and more people (especially children) become psychologically addicted to computer games. We must think about this today. Different scientific disciplines should unite in the study of this area, and psychology should be at the head of these works - work on the study of the psychological aspects of human-computer interaction.
Literature
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2. Matveeva LV, Anikeeva T.Ya., Mochalova Yu.V. Psychology of television communication. M., 2005.
3. Fomicheva Yu.V., Shmelev A.G., Burmistrov I.V. Psychological correlates of enthusiasm for computer games // Bulletin of Moscow State University. Ser 14. Psychology. 2001. No. 3. S. 27-39.
4. Shapkin S.A. Computer game: a new area of psychological research // Psychological journal, 2007. №1, p. 86-102.
5. Elkonin D.B. Psychology of the game. M., 1978.
As has been said more than once in a huge number of books and publications, long-term work at the computer has a very negative effect on many functions of the human body. Here you can also recall the higher nervous activity, as well as the endocrine, immune and reproductive systems. Not to a lesser, if not more so, what has been said concerns vision and the musculoskeletal system of a person. The gloomy consequences of non-observance of a simple set of rules for using a computer can be both impaired vision and varicose veins in the legs. If you put your hand on your heart, then, of course, a person can acquire all these problems without a computer, he just needs to lead an unbalanced lifestyle. Regular computer use is just another cause of health problems, along with insufficient rest, a sedentary lifestyle, or poor diet. Another thing is that this reason turns out to be very, very significant.
Of course, all of the above diseases cannot but have a negative impact on the mental state of a person. But at the moment we are only interested in the influence of the computer, which is directly related to our psyche. And if a person's eyesight and hearing are primarily threatened by a keyboard, mouse, monitor or headphones, then, as far as the human psyche is concerned, more virtual things come to the fore here, namely, excessive passion for computer games or the Internet. As a rule, it is these factors that can cause a kind of addiction, which in some cases is associated with the inability to break away from one's hobby, causing a kind of maniacal addiction to the Internet or games. In such cases, a person is simply unable to imagine his existence without the subject of his already unhealthy interest, laying on his altar more and more of his time and health.
Before proceeding with the consideration of the above cases, it must be said at once that in this context we will consider only those situations that imply many hours of sitting at the computer. In addition, it is worth noting that we exclude from this context those people who are simply forced to spend a huge amount of their time at the computer due to their occupation (constant monitoring and collection of any information, etc.) Not at all! The focus of our attention will be those people who can no longer imagine their daily life without all kinds of chats, Internet forums or various computer games (it should be said that such people make up about 90% of all "regulars" of the world wide web).
Now let's try to sketch out a portrait of the average representative of the specified audience. In principle, such a task can hardly be called difficult, since the way of life of such a person acts as the fundamental reason for such a pastime, moreover, with all the ensuing consequences. We are unlikely to be mistaken if we say that people who live their entire life on the Internet (well, at least most of it), as a rule, urgently need social support, since they experience enormous difficulties with communication, dissatisfaction with themselves, in some cases of extremely low self-esteem, complexes, shyness and a number of other all kinds of problems of this kind. Unfortunately, the Internet is able to solve almost all such problems, providing a virtual life (where you can make yourself absolutely anyone, that is, realize all your dreams of your own exclusivity) instead of real life, to which such a person simply turns out to be unadapted. As practice shows, such a Putin quite often sucks in a huge number of people in a hurry to leave for a safe environment for them, and a non-binding life.
A dual situation is observed here. On the one hand, such people aggravate those character traits from which they would like to completely get rid of, and, on the other hand, acquire new "prizes" that are expressed in escaping reality by changing their mental state, virtually changing their gender, age or some other qualities ... The danger is also expressed in the fact that over time, such a way of life and thinking permeates all levels of their reality, which makes a person act and think in a completely different way. In other words, he completely changes his approach to solving everyday issues, as well as all his family, personal, professional, partner and other problems.
Below is a list of psychological symptoms that can occur in a person at risk of Internet addicts:
feeling of well-being, and sometimes even euphoria from being at the computer;
problematic, and in some cases the inability to interrupt work;
an increase in the amount of time spent behind the monitor screen;
inattention to family members and friends, turning into complete neglect and indifference;
feelings of internal discomfort, emptiness, depression and irritation that appear in the absence of a computer;
more and more lies to employers and family members about their activities;
having problems with work or study.
In addition, alertness should be caused by signals such as:
an obsessive urge to check email as often as possible;
with difficulty restrained anticipation of the next session on the network;
more and more time spent on the net each time;
growth of expenses related to payment for Internet services and computer time.
By the way, it can be noted that all these symptoms are almost completely consistent with the symptoms characteristic of any other addiction, be it alcohol, drugs or obsession with work. In all these cases, including here and Internet addiction, the state of the addicted person is aggravated, ultimately acquiring the status of mania, if no timely measures are taken to remove this person from addiction. The euphoria provided by the computer and the Internet gradually begins to cultivate in a person imbalance, absent-mindedness, slovenliness, self-isolation, the loss of all habitual values and internal orientations, a disregard for family members and friends.
Quite often, among the close people of an addicted person, you can find a widespread misconception that they themselves can call their “problem” relative to ethical standards and a normal lifestyle. Unfortunately, this practically never succeeds, since in this case they have to deal not with stubbornness, but with a real human illness, which causes profound changes in the personality, accompanying this process with the development of new, rather unpleasant, character traits and characteristics of the personality itself.
Now for the children. If we can say about an adult that he made his choice more or less consciously, then the child quite often becomes an unwitting hostage to the lifestyle of his parents, whose behavior and habits he copies on a conscious and subconscious level. Long-term interaction with a computer, which in the child's mind begins to associate with a friend who is always ready to play and does not say "Enough, I'm tired!"
The peculiarities of the child's psyche force the child to adapt to the world around him in a very short time, which is absolutely true in the world of computers. Unfortunately, many changes caused by such a feature of the child are not immediately noticed by an ordinary person (only an experienced teacher or psychologist can cope with this task). Changes in emotional terms, the appearance of increased aggressiveness, and frequent outbreaks of violence can be cited as examples. You can also pay attention to another aspect - the child stops the flight of fantasy inherent in his age, he becomes unable to create his own visual images, and can also with great difficulty generalize and analyze the information received. Long-term communication with a computer quite often can lead to the development of long-term disorders in the field of mental and intellectual development of the child. Some psychologists already now note in the so-called "computer generation" the deterioration of some types of memory, the appearance of emotional immaturity and general irresponsibility.
You should always remember that a computer can become a friend, help in trouble, find like-minded people, and can add a huge number of problems, lead to loneliness, becoming a sworn enemy.
Many parents are convinced that a preschooler or junior schoolchild needs a computer only for entertainment. They are partly right: the computer is really an incredibly attractive and exciting toy through the eyes of children. However, do not forget that kids learn the world precisely through play, and the more varied the games are, the more benefits they will bring.
Today there are a lot of educational games and programs for children of different ages that allow you to playfully teach a child to distinguish colors and shapes, learn the seasons and names of objects, learn to read and count. Here is what one of our regular readers Julia, mother of a 3-year-old baby, says about this:
I believe that computers and tablets are the salvation of parents. ☺ The child is busy, the child is developing. For example, we have already learned geometric shapes and colors thanks to the application on the tablet. ""
At the same time, one cannot deny the negative impact of computers, excessive hobby for which can provoke health problems, difficulties in socialization and the development of gambling addiction in a child.
The child is studying the computer
Modern children get acquainted with a computer at the age of 3-4 years, and by the age of 7 a child becomes a real "ace" who is able to teach less "advanced" relatives various computer tricks. The main task of parents is to control and direct this process, selecting only useful games and programs for the child that contribute to the development of intelligence.
Influence of the computer on the intelligence of the child
The most useful for children of younger and older preschool age are special educational and educational games. These include:
- graphic editors, including the simplest "drawing" and "coloring";
- music editors, especially dedicated tablet apps;
- puzzles, from the simplest for 1-2 elements for children from 3 years old, to complex ones, which will be interesting to collect for both children and adults;
- presentation pictures with text and sound accompaniment, for example, the popular Doman cards;
- interactive children's encyclopedias;
- logic puzzle games, for example, classic Tetris.
Such games stimulate the development of the child, in particular, develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, memory and logic, attention and reaction speed. In addition, games greatly facilitate the learning process and serve to prepare the child for life in the information society.
Naturally, this does not mean that a one-year-old baby can be handed a tablet or put him in front of a monitor for the whole day and consider his pedagogical duty fulfilled. For full development, a child needs communication with parents and peers, outdoor games and "ordinary" toys: pyramids, balls, cars and dolls. Communication with a computer for preschoolers should be limited to 10-15 minutes, and for younger students 20-30 minutes no more than 2 times a day and with breaks between "sessions" at least 2-3 hours.
Excessive infatuation of children with the computer instead of the expected benefit can do significant harm. For example, replacing live communication and games with parents and peers even with the best developmental programs lead to impaired physical and intellectual development of the child. In particular, in the last year alone, the number of children with delayed speech development has increased by 40%, children with delayed speech development by 20%. And pediatricians associate these figures with the “computerization” of our life.
How does a computer affect a child's health?
The computer negatively affects the child if the toddler spends too much time in front of the monitor. Moreover, first of all, the eyesight and psyche of the baby suffer. Also, long games on the computer cause fatigue and can provoke headaches, and an incorrect posture or an uncomfortable workplace leads to scoliosis, pain in the back, lower back, shoulders and neck. In order not to be unfounded, let us dwell on these aspects in more detail.
The high brightness and flickering of the computer monitor, as well as the need to constantly focus the gaze in one direction and at the same distance, cause rapid fatigue of the eye muscles. And regular overwork of the eye muscles leads to loss of visual acuity and can cause the development of myopia.
In addition, a person normally blinks about 20-25 times per minute, and when working at a computer, the frequency of blinking decreases to 1-2 times per minute. A decrease in the frequency of blinking leads to drying out of the mucous membrane of the eyes - as a result, such unpleasant symptoms as burning in the eyes, redness of the eyes, and a feeling of "sand" under the eyelids appear.
In order to reduce the negative impact of the computer on the child's vision, it is necessary:
- limit the time of continuous work in front of the monitor 10-20 minutes for preschoolers and 20-30 minutes for schoolchildren;
- immediately after working at the computer, the child should wash with clean cool water, and then do special exercises for the eyes;
- while relaxing from the computer, the child should be offered activities that do not cause eye strain. Ideally, outdoor games or any physical activity, but it is better to refuse reading or watching TV;
- make sure your computer monitor does not reflect light from natural or artificial light sources in the room. Glare on the monitor provokes additional stress on the eye muscles.
note: The higher the quality of the monitor, the higher its resolution and image clarity, the less harm it has on eyesight. The safest modern monitors with a special anti-reflective coating.
Influence of the computer on the posture of the child
Strictly speaking, it is not the computer itself that has a negative impact on the child's posture, but the child's incorrect posture while working on it. This factor especially negatively affects the health of the spine if the child spends several hours a day at the monitor and does not devote enough time to physical activity and sports.
If a child sits in front of a computer, lounging in a chair, or on the contrary constantly slouches and bends forward, his spine is deformed. This, in turn, leads to back pain, headaches, malformed spine and the development of scoliosis.
The correct posture when working on a computer looks like this:
note: A carefully equipped workstation will help minimize the stress on the spine and ensure the correct posture of the child when working on the computer. At the same time, the usual "adult" office furniture will do more harm than good: the furniture must correspond to the growth of the child.
The main danger of the virtual world for the child's psyche is that the child identifies himself with the hero of a computer game. It's good if this is a "peaceful" hero of an educational game who bakes pies, heals animals or grows flowers. But children quickly get bored of such games: boys prefer to see themselves as the savior of the world, fearlessly destroying aliens or monsters, girls are attracted by virtual simulators of modeling and show business. Passion for such games leads to a distorted perception of reality by the child: aggressive behavior, physical violence and even murder cease to be something terrible in the eyes of children.
Overly dynamic games, such as car racing simulators, excite the child's nervous system and cause rapid fatigue. As a result, sleep and appetite are disturbed, irritability and aggression appear, concentration of attention and the ability to learn decrease.
Therefore, for preschoolers and children of primary school age, all "adult" games with elements of aggression and too dynamic games, including arcades and simulators, are under absolute prohibitions. Such games have a negative impact on the psyche of the baby.
Note: To make it easier for parents to select games for their child, special game ratings have been created, for example, Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is used in Europe. This rating consists of two parts: an age limit and a short description of the content in the form of a warning logo. PEGI divides games into 5 age categories: 3+, 7+, 12+, 16+ and 18+. In Russia, such a system is called the Russian System of Age Ratings, according to which age categories are distributed as follows: 0+, 6+, 12+, 16+ and 18+. Games from the first category are suitable for the smallest users, games from the latter, respectively, are intended only for adults. 
At the same time, one should not forget that the unhealthy atmosphere in the family, conflicts in kindergarten or school are much more dangerous for the child's psyche than any computer games. It is these factors that often form gambling addiction, prompting the child to "escape" from problems into the virtual world.
Influence of the computer on sex education
The Internet has made almost any information available, including the content of so-called "adult sites". Naturally, the task of parents is to protect the child from visiting such resources, because the information presented on them, to put it mildly, is not intended for young users and can cause irreparable harm to the delicate child's psyche and further sexual development.
The easiest way is to set the “parental control” function with a high level of filtering in the antivirus settings. Thus, you will protect your home computer and mobile devices with Internet access, but you will not get a 100% guarantee that your child will not familiarize yourself with forbidden sites using a friend's computer. That is why it is important to hear from you about the natural sexual relationship between a man and a woman.
In the age of information technology, parents should pay special attention to the sex education of their children, answering their questions in detail and correctly, without hiding behind stories about cabbage or storks. Your task is to win the child's trust so that he would turn to you with all the juicy questions, and not to the search engine.
It is you who must explain to him that sex is natural and beautiful, however, only when it is one of the ways of expressing love between adults. It is especially important to emphasize that this applies only to adults. In a mild form, warn about the dangers of early sexual activity and do not forget to detail about the means of protection.
Summary
Remember: a computer can become a reliable assistant for your child, facilitate and diversify the learning process. However, excessive enthusiasm for them can be dangerous for both the physical and mental development of the child. Your task is to teach your child the basics of computer literacy and the basic rules for the safe use of technology.
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