Hikikomori

I think the internet's impact on kids is immense, but to me I see it as just another part of life, as I am sure many other kids also do. I think the Internet is so ingrained in our lives that we take for granted how much progress it has made within the last few decades. 

In the Frontline special Growing Up Online , there was a great deal of talk about social networking websites, such as myspace and facebook. They mentioned how kids try on different personae, which allows them to portray alternate lifestyles and beliefs that they may not necessarily believe in. One teen mentioned how relieving it is to know that there are other kids out there who are just as frustrated with their lives and who they are- that they are all searching for some sort of closure in regards to their identities. I think it's great that kids find some sort of escape with internet socializing. I think it's safe, as long as they don't relieve anything too personal to a complete stranger, and relieving. Who's to say how we release stress? Some of us run, some get an instrument and rock out, and some like to talk online. I think that online talk is almost as liberating as fiction; kids are creating narratives about where they have come from, what they have experienced, and who they are trying to become. Why dampen that? 

However, I also recognize how some kids take this to the extreme, as in cases of hikikomori, which is an instance of extreme social withdrawal. I suppose my view is that while the Internet is liberating, it also should not replace any sort of real relationships. I found the English teacher's plight close to heart; she was trying to make the kids appreciate thinking, appreciate taking time to reflect. The one problem I have with the Internet is its ability to appear to give a satisfactory answer, when it may indeed leave out personal opinions and feelings.