One, Two, Three, Four…
I Declare ‘Chat’ War!

The Psychological Repercussions of Chat Rooms

Jaimee Kirkendall

(An Online Version of this Project is also available.)

Chat rooms have become one of the new social phenomenons of the '90s. While chat room existed before this, in this decade they have become a mainstream method of social interaction. As with any other form of communication, there are groups of people who see the positive side of the chat room experience, and those who feel that they have a negative impact on society.

Chat rooms can be found to discuss almost any topic imaginable; this can be both a positive and a negative.  With the freedom that accompanies the Internet comes the fear of a medium with such little regulation.  However, a medium that allows for such an easy way to find and communicate with people who share the same interests is of no doubt a welcome relief from conventional ways of meeting new social acquaintances.  If a person is interested in raising turtles, they can probably find a chat room of other people who have the same interest, and ideas can be exchanged and shared.  It may have taken a person months to find another turtle lover in face to face contact, and perhaps the person would even have been to shy to bring up the topic in a social setting.  But with the relative anonymity of the Internet, this person can get online and find sites and chat room about turtles in mere minutes.

On the negative side of chat room use is the effect that chat rooms seem to have on a person's social interactions.  Studies have found that there is a correlation between length of time spent on the Internet and depression.  (CNN Interactive) Children also seem to spend less time with their family and friends as online relationships take over as the main form of interaction.  Some experts even hypothesize that putting too much stock in online relationships can hinder children from being effective at social interaction.  (CNN Interactive) This can be said to be a combination of both an apparent lack of social skills, and often a lack of desire for person to person contact that makes social interaction very ineffective.  As the social interaction fails, some fear that the result could be very dangerous.  Fears of groups such as cults (i.e. Heaven's Gate cult) that operate online have thrived by feeding to a group of people who were already heavily involved in online activity, and drew them further away from society and reality using the Internet as its main tool.

Solid evidence has be shown in support of both the positive and negative aspects of Internet use such as chat rooms.  The proponents of Internet use insist that the Internet is a tool that aides in the leaning that occurs everyday in face to face contact.  The claim is that the Internet is a supplement to our environment, and invaluable as a tool to lead us into the future.  Without access or ability to use the Internet, many proponents such as Donald Tapscott fear that children will be left behind in a society that will soon become so technologically dependent.  If society follows in the fashion of such technological advancement as has been seen in the years since the creation of the Internet, Tapscott is probably very correct. The question of Tapscott's correctness depends, however, on the path that society intends to take for Internet use;  it seems as though either a large-scale crackdown or total freedom will result.  If a crackdown results, perhaps society will move away from the wide spread use of the Internet.  If total freedom results, it seems as though many people will still want to defend their rights enough to keep using such a medium.

Those who oppose the use of the Internet claim that people have begun or will begin to live their lives online, and will lose touch with reality.  It has been found that  people become depressed and reclusive in relation to the amount of time spent online.  This is very strong evidence to lead many people to fear the vast computerization movement that is occurring in our society.  Is our society simply going to become so detached that our face to face contact becomes almost obsolete?  Will all interaction occur via a computer screen rather than another human being?  These are the questions that many people ponder, and there seems to be no clear solution to the problem.  Along with the problem of detachment from society itself comes the repercussions that the detachment can lead to, even going so far as to fear cult involvement and other negative impacts due to the loss of touch with reality.

A clear cut solution to the controversy over Internet communication such as chat rooms does not seem to be around the corner.  Both sides of the spectrum are very adamant in their views, and their seems to be little middle ground in the debate.  One is left with the decision of supporting or criticizing the Internet, because no one has come up with a solution that provides the ability to keep the positive aspects of the Internet and yet cutting out the negative impacts. At the present time, it seems that all one can do is try to create balance in their lives between virtual interaction and human interaction. Through the combined efforts of Internet proponents and skeptics, perhaps a society can exist in which computer use is both essential to prosper, but yet still not a substitute for good old fashioned person to person contact.  If a balance can be achieved, we can arrive at a point of technological advancement without the cost being the destruction of person relations.  Internet proponents need to take a sharp look at the tools they release to society and take an honest look at what the repercussions on society will be.  Internet skeptics need to take a step back and not assume that every aspect of Internet use is a step backwards in society, and also need to weigh the advantages of the software against any potentially damaging effects the software could have on society.  If both groups take a step back and try to take an unbiased look at the Internet, both groups might find that they could more easily come to a consensus.

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