Detailed Analysis of the Contemporary Socio-technical Environment

This essay delves into the contemporary socio-technical environment, focusing on the impact of technology, social media, and online gaming. The essay uses the slogans "Disconnect to Connect" and "Gaming, A Dangerous Fun!" to explore how the internet and social media platforms have reshaped human interaction, leading to both increased connectivity and potential downsides such as cyberbullying, depression, and internet addiction. The analysis draws upon the concepts of moral panics and technopanics, as discussed in the provided readings, to highlight societal anxieties surrounding new technologies. The essay examines the evolution of gaming, from its early stages to its current online form, emphasizing the addictive nature of gaming and its potential negative consequences, including loss of focus and detachment from reality. The essay references scholarly articles to support its arguments, illustrating the complex relationship between individuals and the digital world.

Running Head: Contemporary Socio-technical Environment
Contemporary Socio-technical Environment

Contemporary Socio-technical Environment
Slogan 1: “Disconnect to Connect”
Meaning
The phrase “Disconnect to Connect” deciphers that in order to connect with other
individuals both practically and mentally, a person needs to disconnect himself or her from
the online world, at the first place. Herein, ‘Disconnect’ vividly emphasizes on withdrawing
or discontinuing connection with the online media, especially social media platforms.
Furthermore, the application of the former term as per frame of reference comes after the
implication of the latter, and the same aims to affirm that connection needs to be such that
can enable a person to establish an association or connection that may be similar to coupling
of two souls.
Justification
The era of the 21st century is recognized as the age of technology and looking around
in the present, one can never deny the same which may be affirmed as the current socio-
technological scenario. After the first Industrial revolution at the end of the 1960s, onset of
technological advancement was witnessed and the inclusion of science and technology,
reached its peak. However, by the end of the 20th century, Timothy Berners-Lee invented the
World Wide Web which was held as the most valuable milestone invention in the terms of
modern day technological advancement context (Hussain, 2018). This is beyond any doubt
that with the introduction of the internet; lifestyle, business patterns and approaches and
even the education systematic evolved to a huge extent. Owing to the internet, connecting
with people through the platforms of online social media could be opted for in a much easier
way and ‘connecting’ though virtual but was accessible in a blink of an eye.
In the present, individuals became so involved with the online interaction that the
same are unable to acknowledge that they are missing to be the part of the reality. The
internet, especially social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and similar others
ensured the connectivity with people no doubt, but the same simultaneously engulfed the
whole time and concentration of the individuals compelling them to refrain from worldly
affairs (Turel, Brevers, & Bechara, 2018). The degree of involvement of the mentioned is
such that it not only makes an individual too much relied upon virtuality but also depicts
fatal outcomes such as cyber bullying, depression and similar others. Unlike connecting in
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person, connecting through the web give others to be rude and thereby, acknowledging the
concept of cyber bullying. As per the views of Robinson et al., (2019), owing to cyber
bullying individuals nowadays tends to make themselves aloof from the society and
experiences depression which if not handled and dealt with appropriate attention can prove
to be life threatening.
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Slogan 2: “Gaming, A Dangerous Fun!”
Meaning
The expression “Gaming, A Dangerous Fun!” affirms the devastating nature of
addictive gaming. Gaming in the said context refers to online gaming and not in practical
terms. Herein, ‘Gaming’ term literally means engaging in an act of playing games,
preferably video games and ‘game’ is recognised as an act performed with the specific
intention of comprehending amusement. The word ‘Dangerous’ emphasizes on the degree
of devastation that may be caused by games when an individual deciphers an addiction of
the same. ‘Fun’ refers to the amusement that an individual gets when he engages with the
act of playing games.
Justification
The concept of video games flooded the world arena in the 1970s but the evolution
and modernization of the same was witnessed towards the earlier decades of the 21st
century. The world of gaming recognised its scope to be connected with the internet. The
whole concept of gaming herein was changed and owing the excellent interactive features
and added fun the gaming network established itself vividly in the online platform.
According to Milani et al., (2018), with the introduction of android and mobile gaming, the
level of fun as well as danger increased proportionally. Internet gaming enabled gamers to
connect and compete with other gamers globally which increased the rate of involvement of
the individuals to a huge extent, consuming enormous span of time. Unnecessary wastage of
time itself is considered a great issue, especially among the youths who are the actual
admirers of gaming but however, the danger of gaming lies in the over-involvement of the
same.
The platforms of Ubisoft, EA Sports, Steam and similar others are the comprehended
online platforms which attracts the individuals with the smooth interface, realistic and
detailed gaming experience (Rajan et al., 2018). Owing to the high degree of involvement,
individuals pertains the whole attention towards the same and deciphers an inattentive and
ignorant attitude towards the surroundings (both living and nonliving). This leads to various
problems such as lack of focus, depression, inattentive attitude and similar others, which
may further lead to fatalities such as fatal accidents and even death or suicides (Pokemon
Go, PubG, Momo) (Ramos-Diaz et al., 2018).
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References
Hussain, A. (2018). Research goes digital.
Milani, L., La Torre, G., Fiore, M., Grumi, S., Gentile, D. A., Ferrante, M., ... & Di Blasio, P.
(2018). Internet gaming addiction in adolescence: risk factors and maladjustment
correlates. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 16(4), 888-904.
Rajan, A. V., Nassiri, N., Akre, V., Ravikumar, R., Nabeel, A., Buti, M., & Salah, F. (2018,
November). Virtual Reality Gaming Addiction. In 2018 Fifth HCT Information
Technology Trends (ITT) (pp. 358-363). IEEE.
Ramos-Diaz, J., Guevara-Cordero, C., Király, O., Demetrovics, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2018,
August). Excessive gaming and internet use: Preliminary results with anxiety and
depression among highly engaged Peruvian gamers. In 2018 IEEE XXV International
Conference on Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computing (INTERCON) (pp.
1-4). IEEE.
Robinson, A., Bonnette, A., Howard, K., Ceballos, N., Dailey, S., Lu, Y., & Grimes, T.
(2019). Social comparisons, social media addiction, and social interaction: An
examination of specific social media behaviors related to major depressive disorder in
a millennial population. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, 24(1), e12158.
Turel, O., Brevers, D., & Bechara, A. (2018). Time distortion when users at-risk for social
media addiction engage in non-social media tasks. Journal of psychiatric
research, 97, 84-88.
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