Tuning Out the Real World

The use of technology is ever increasing in our lives today and people are becoming more and more immersed in the world of mass media. For example, the use of text messaging has been constantly increasing by over 250% every year (Cellsigns) and the average person watches four and a half hours of television every day (Nielson Media Research). With this trend, who knows what the future holds in regard to the use of mass media. This could eventually produce lifestyles where individuals tune out the real world and live in the world of media such as videogames, television, and internet. If people begin to overly distance themselves from the reality of the outside world, we could expect a dramatic increase in social problems. There are many negative effects from media such as social isolation, violence descencitizaton, and confusion between fantasy and reality (National Institute on Media and the Family).
In my home ward, we had an inactive girl who had recently become paralyzed from an accident. She turned to the internet for entertainment and eventually became fully immersed in online chat rooms and other programs. She slowly began to tune out the real world and chose not to face the world with her new conditions.
Also in an article in the Daily Universe, a student in Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to child endangerment after found with a homemade grenade. The article said, "(He) had left public school in seventh grade and was being home-schooled. Over time, violent Internet sites fueled his revenge fantasies"(Sept. 24, 2008, Page 12).This is becoming more common with the easy accessibility of internet, television, and games and is a threatening problem needing address.