Psychological impact of a computer on a person. The impact of computers on mental health

Long-term work at a computer negatively affects many functions of our body: higher nervous activity, endocrine, immune and reproductive systems, vision and the human musculoskeletal system... What can this mean for the common person? Anything! From impaired vision to varicose veins in the legs. Honestly, you can “earn” all this without a computer, simply by leading an unbalanced lifestyle. The computer is just another link in the same chain: insufficient rest, sedentary lifestyle, inorganic nutrition, etc.

All of the above ailments will certainly affect your mental state. However, now we will talk about the influence of the computer, which is directly related to our psyche. And if vision and hearing can be damaged by the keyboard, mouse or monitor, then the psyche is primarily affected by more, so to speak, virtual things - games and the Internet. This is something that “addicts”, something from which it is impossible to tear yourself away, something without which many can no longer imagine their lives - this is a manic addiction to the Internet or to games. If you like, internet addiction, gambling addiction.

First of all, it is necessary to immediately say that we are talking about sitting at a computer for many hours. Secondly, we mean people who spend their time in chats, forums, and games, and do not work on the Internet (gathering information, etc.). By the way, they make up about 90% of all “long-term users” on the network. This leads to the third point: a portrait of this audience.

Actually, this is the fundamental reason for such a pastime, with the ensuing consequences. People who live their lives on the Internet often need social support, they have great difficulties in communication, they experience dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, inhibitions, shyness, etc.

The Internet “solves” all these problems! The Internet seems to be telling them: “Go to the chat, introduce yourself as anyone, satisfy any of your desires and don’t be afraid of anything!” And people are in a hurry to leave for an environment that is safe for them, a life that does not oblige them to anything.

Thus, they, firstly, aggravate those character traits that they would like to get rid of, and also acquire new ones: escaping reality by changing their mental state, virtually changing their gender, age... Of course, gradually this way of life , a way of thinking, permeates all levels of their lives. A person begins to act and think differently.

He solves everyday issues, family, personal, professional, partnership, etc. differently.

Here are the psychological symptoms a person may begin to experience if he or she belongs to the risk group of Internet addicts:

good health or euphoria at the computer;

inability to stop;

increasing the amount of time spent at the computer;

neglect of family and friends;

feelings of emptiness, depression, irritation when not at the computer;

lying to employers or family members about your activities;

problems with work or study.

Danger signals are also:

Actually, you will find all these symptoms in people with any other addiction, be it alcohol, drugs or work. Over time, if no measures are taken, the condition of addicts worsens, turning into mania. While experiencing euphoria at the computer, they simultaneously cultivate in themselves imbalance, absent-mindedness, sloppiness, self-isolation, loss of all usual values, loss of internal guidelines, and disregard for loved ones. By the way, a huge misconception of many people who live with alcoholic or Internet-addicted relatives is that they perceive the above qualities personally, trying to call the “addicted” person to ethical standards. But, I repeat, this is a fallacy. These people are sick, and their illness leads to profound personality changes, the emergence of new, rather unpleasant, character traits.

While adults make their choices more or less consciously, children often become hostages of their parents’ lifestyle. Unfortunately, in addition to the computer addiction that awaits them, there are a number of other side effects from prolonged communication with a computer.

Children quickly adapt to the world around them, and to the world of computers too. Many changes may not be noticed immediately, “with the naked eye” (only an experienced teacher or psychologist can determine them). For example, this may affect them emotionally; there may be increased aggressiveness and outbursts of violence. Another observation is that children stop fantasizing, become unable to create their own visual images, and have difficulty summarizing and analyzing information. The computer can cause long-term disorders in the mental and intellectual development of children. The so-called computer generation has poorer performance in some types of memory, emotional immaturity and irresponsibility.

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 you find like-minded people, or it can lead to loneliness.

Educational and research conference

"Young Researchers"

Municipal state educational institution

Khanty-Mansiysk region

"Secondary school in the village of Sibirsky"

Research

Lagonskaya Alina Alexandrovna,

6th grade student

MKOU KhMR "School school in Sibirsky"

Supervisor:

Stennikova Yulia Vladimirovna,

educational psychologist

MKOU KhMR "School school in Sibirsky"

Sibirsky village

2016

“The influence of the computer on human health and psyche”

Russia, Tyumen region, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Ugra,

Khanty-Mansiysk region, Sibirsky village

annotation

Purpose of the research work: identifying the influence of computers on human health and psyche

Tasks:

study and summarize information resources about the direct influence of the computer on

the student’s physical health and mental state, in particular,

the emergence of computer addiction.

conduct a sociological survey on this issue, process statistical

data, draw conclusions.

Methods and techniques research :

1) work with scientific and journalistic literature;

2) searching for information on the Internet;

3) research and analysis;

4) sociological survey;

5) descriptive method;

Conclusions:

1. The problem of the influence of a computer on a person is very extensive and multifaceted.

2. The computer can become both the enemy of education and personal development and the best

assistant in these processes.

3. The main thing is to remember and follow the simple rules of working at the computer, and we

We will reduce the negative risk to a minimum.

Study plan

I. Preparatory stage

1.Collect information aboutinfluence of the computer onphysical health of the student and

his mental state.

2. Analysis of collected information

II .Main stage

Drawing up a questionnaire and conducting a survey among your environment

Processing and analysis of survey results

Writing a research paper

III .The final stage:

Creating a presentation.

Defense of work at a school conference.

Hypothesis.Nowadays it is almost impossible to live without a computer. Internet, chats, forums - these words have long and firmly entered our lives. But along with them, new concepts such as “Internet addiction” and “gaming addiction” also entered our lives. The number of people suffering from “typical computer” diseases - blurred vision, curvature of the spine and other unpleasant diseases - has increased. But still, the computer brings not only troubles, sometimes it helps a lot.

Problematic question. How does a computer affect a person’s health and psyche, and how to combine a healthy lifestyle and working on a computer?

“The influence of the computer on human health and psyche”

Lagonskaya Alina Alexandrovna

Russia, Tyumen region, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Ugra,

Khanty-Mansiysk region, Sibirsky village

Municipal state educational institution of the Khanty-Mansiysk region

"Secondary school in the village of Sibirsky", 6th grade student

Main part.

During its relatively short existence, the computer has already taken a place in many areas of human life; it is already necessary at work, helps children in their studies, and, of course, is one of their favorite entertainments. With the advent of the Internet, it has also become the best way to search for information, business communication, recreation, etc. in general, some people find it difficult to imagine life without a computer. However, in addition to the many advantages that a computer brings to a person, one should not forget about its impact on health.

History of the creation of the computer.

Man has always strived for progress: he picked up a stick, invented a wheel, and many mechanisms and tools. They expanded his physical capabilities and increased freedom in space and time.

Man needed a tool to enhance his intellect. That's how the computer came into being. The word “computer” means “computer”. The need for this device arose a long time ago, because thousands of years ago humanity used sticks, pebbles, etc. to carry out various calculations.

Over the past half century, computing machines themselves have changed greatly and have changed society even longer. From 1945 to the present day, computer technology has gone through 4 generations in its development:

The 1st generation is based on electron vacuum tubes.

The 2nd generation is based on transistors.

3rd generation based on integrated circuits

4th generation based on the invention of the microprocessor

The first microprocessor was created in 1971 by an American companyIntel. The first personal computer appeared in the United States in 1976.

Modern computers perform thousands and dozens of actions per second and replace the work of tens and hundreds of thousands of computers. With the help of these machines, it was possible to solve problems that were previously considered practically unsolvable. But along with its advantages, the computer brought with it many new problems. First of all, this is a violation of people's health. That is why I became interested in this problem.

The main harmful factors affecting a person using a computer.

The second half of the 20th century is a time of global computerization of human society. In this regard, questions arise about the influence of a computer on his body and, first of all, on his physical and mental health.

Children began to spend less time outside, play less active games, Internet users began to communicate less in person, preferring chats and mail. Thus, special attention should be paid to studying the influence of a computer on the health of schoolchildren, which is due both to the greater sensitivity of the child’s body to all kinds of environmental factors, and to the possible long-term consequences of such an influence, which will affect only many years later.

First I studiedThe main harmful factors affecting a person using a computer:

First of all - Thissitting for long periods of time . A person at a computer sits in a relaxed position, however, it is forced and unpleasant: the muscles of the neck, head, arms, and back are tense. The result of muscle tension can be osteochondrosis, and in children - scoliosis. When sitting at a computer for a long time, a heat compress effect develops between the seat of the chair and the body, which leads to stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs. The consequence of this may be hemorrhoids and prostatitis, i.e. diseases that require long-term and unpleasant treatment. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle often leads to obesity.

Secondly - The human visual system is poorly adapted to viewing images on a monitor screen. The eyes react to the smallest vibration of a text or picture, and even more so to the flickering of the screen. Overload of the eyes leads to loss of visual acuity. Poor selection of colors, fonts, and incorrect screen placement have a bad effect on vision. If, moreover, the monitor is of low quality, then the consequences will not be long in coming: the user’s vision deteriorates, the eyes begin to water, headaches, fatigue, double image appear... This phenomenon is called “computer vision syndrome”.

Third - electromagnetic radiation . Modern monitors with picture tubes, and even more so liquid crystal monitors, have become much safer for health than the monitors of ten years ago. However, in all cases, unshielded low-frequency EMI from electric motors and transformers remains.

Fourthly - overload of the joints of the hands. In the fingers, due to constant hitting of the keys, there is a feeling of weakness, numbness and “goosebumps” in the pads. This can lead to damage to the articular and ligamentous apparatus of the hand, and in the future hand diseases can become chronic.

Fifthly - stress due to loss of information. Not all users regularly make backup copies of important information. But viruses do not sleep, and hard drives of the best companies break down, and the most experienced programmer can sometimes press the wrong button... As a result of stress caused by the loss of important information, heart attacks have also occurred.

Long-term work at a computer leads to changes in higher nervous activity, endocrine and immune systems, and affects vision and the human musculoskeletal system. Long-term and persistent changes tend to cause harm to the body.

The influence of computer technology on the human psyche.

Mainly, dependence on modern computer technologies is expressed in two main forms:

Internet addiction (Internet addiction)

excessive passion for computer games.

These two forms have both common features and differences.

The common features of computer addiction are a characteristic number of psychological and physical symptoms that are closely related to each other:

Psychological symptoms:

good health or euphoria at the computer;

inability to stop;

increasing the amount of time spent at the computer;

neglect of family and friends;

feelings of emptiness, depression, irritation when not at the computer;

lying to family members about your activities;

problems with work or study.

Physical symptoms:

dry eyes;

migraine-type headaches;

back pain;

irregular eating, skipping meals;

neglect of personal hygiene;

sleep disorders, changes in sleep patterns.

Pathological computer use may not be as dangerous in its impact on a person as, for example, alcoholism or drug addiction (chemical dependencies). However, it is obvious that computer addiction still negatively affects a person’s personality.

Over time, if no measures are taken, the condition of addicts worsens, turning into mania. While experiencing euphoria at the computer, they simultaneously cultivate in themselves imbalance, absent-mindedness, sloppiness, self-isolation, loss of all usual values, loss of internal guidelines, and disregard for loved ones. These people are sick, and their illness leads to profound personality changes, the emergence of new, rather unpleasant, character traits.

While adults make their choices more or less consciously, children often become hostages of their parents’ lifestyle. Unfortunately, in addition to the computer addiction that awaits them, there are a number of other side effects from prolonged communication with a computer. Children quickly adapt to the world around them, and to the world of computers too. Many changes may not be noticed immediately, “with the naked eye” (only an experienced teacher or psychologist can determine them). For example, this may affect them emotionally; there may be increased aggressiveness and outbursts of violence. Another observation is that children stop fantasizing and have difficulty summarizing and analyzing information. The computer can cause long-term disorders in the mental and intellectual development of children. The so-called computer generation has poorer performance in some types of memory, emotional immaturity and irresponsibility.

We and the Internet.

For a modern person, access to all kinds of Internet resources has long been one of the indicators of quality of life. Indeed, the ease and speed of obtaining the necessary information through the World Wide Web is incomparable to anything else. Judge for yourself: if in 2003 in Russia three out of a thousand people had a computer with Internet access, today this figure has increased 3-4 times.

SchoolboyXXIcenturies now has difficulty imagining what a library catalog is: a huge number of virtual libraries have solved this problem once and for all. However, reading from a computer screen not only does not improve health (especially with regard to vision), but also does not ensure lasting memorization of the material: oddly enough, with such reading attention is more scattered and concentration decreases. Modern man receives all the necessary information without much effort and energy.

Another problem with information obtained through the Internet is that it is often unverified and sometimes harmful. Because a person controls a computer, and people, as you know, tend to make mistakes.

Psychologists have discovered another disease - manic-depressive dependence on the virtual world of global networks. Inflamed, reddened eyes, a high degree of nervous and physical exhaustion, tearfulness, yawning - these are just some of the symptoms of the new disease. “Netaholics,” as they are called, have a passionate desire to immerse themselves in the world of virtual reality again and again and not leave it for a long time. Experts argue about the name of the disease, but they are all unanimous on one thing: it is a syndrome and people with it certainly need treatment. In their opinion, “network mania” is as destructive as alcoholism or drug addiction and leads to profound personality changes - self-isolation, loss of internal guidelines, mental imbalance, external manifestations of absent-mindedness and sloppiness, and a disregard for loved ones.

Although the disease is still very young, psychologists have managed to conduct a sufficient amount of research into its symptoms. According to the data obtained, anyone who checks their “box” several times a day is addicted, who forgets about the time in their virtual wanderings, who eats in front of the monitor and not at the table and responds to someone with only a nod of the head or a shrug of the shoulders. .

Computer stressors

What is stress ? Translated from English, stress means pressure, pressure, tension. Psychologists understand stress as strong emotional experiences, internal tension caused by some life events.

Working on a computer adds a number of stressors to our lives.

Loss of information - of course, in first place among computer stressors (if not in frequency, then in terms of stress for sure).

Unstable operation, computer crashes and freezes , even those that do not lead to data loss, are also serious stress factors.

Information overload . Computers, programming, the Internet are the most dynamically developing areas of human activity. The need to constantly and very intensively update one’s knowledge and skills, to keep abreast of the huge number of new products appearing daily becomes an unbearable burden for many.

Spam (unauthorized mailings) has recently become a real disaster for those who actively work on the Internet, and for everyone who even occasionally looks into their email inbox.

The impact of the same stressful situation on different people can be completely different. What will be a shock for a particular person depends solely on him, his worldview, his beliefs, his value system, the strength of his character, his psychological stability.

Research results.

Having studiedthe main harmful factors affecting a person when working at a computer, I was interested in the health status of the children in our school who have a computer at home. I conducted a survey and summarized my own observations.

A survey of schoolchildren was conducted using a questionnaire I developed. (Appendix No. 1). The survey was completed by 36 students of the MKOU KhMR Secondary School in the village of Sibirsky (grades 3-11).

It was revealed that out of 36 respondents, 94% of students have computers.

According to the results of the survey, it turned out that 100% of students know how to work on it, while 58% of students began working on a computer from 2–7 years old, 32% from 8–10 years old, 10% from 10–13 years old.

It is considered normal if a student spends 2–3 hours a day at the computer. Among the survey participants, 78% spend from 30 minutes to 4 hours at the computer every day, from 5 to 8 hours a day – 18%, 24 hours a day – 4%;

What will you prefer: computer or sports? 20% of the participants answered the computer, and the remaining 80% answered sports;

Do you play computer games? 20% of participants answered yes, and the remaining 80% answered no;

How much time do you spend playing computer games? 64% from 20 minutes to 2 hours, 19% from 3 to 4 hours, 6% from 5 to 6 hours, 9% all day;

Do you easily break away from the game? 64% of participants answered yes, 26% no, 10% do not play;

Do you have a constant desire to play? 18% of participants answered yes, 82% answered no;

86% of participants answered with a friend, 14% with a computer;

What interests you more: computer or reading books?

55% - computer, 45% - reading books;

What do you prefer: a walk in the fresh air or a computer?

92% walk, 8% computer;

64% yes, 36% no;

How many hours a day do you think you can sit at a computer? 90% of participants answered - from 15 minutes to 3 hours, from 4 to 6 hours - 5%, don’t know - 5%;

Yes - 34%, no - 39%, a little - 27%;

Yes-36%, no-50%, rarely-14%;

66% of participants answered from 10 minutes to 3 hours, 10% - from 4 to 6 hours, do not attend - 20%, until the end - 4%;

What do you think is better to communicate with a friend: via computer or directly?

The “Computer Addiction” test was conducted with students (Appendix 1)

Based on this work, the following conclusions were drawn:

1) Most students have a computer and have a positive attitude towards it, although they have not thought about the harmful effects of a computer on their health.

2) Many schoolchildren do not know the rules for working at the computer, do not take enough care of their health, spending too much time at the computer, which can lead to various diseases, including mental ones.

3) Testing “Computer Addiction” showed that 63% of the students surveyed were interested in the game, 25% were passionate, and 12% were already in the stage of addiction, which is something that teachers need to pay special attention to.

Conclusion.

The problem of the influence of a computer on a person is very extensive and multifaceted. The work “The influence of the computer on human health and psyche” expanded my knowledge of how unsafe it is to work on a computer.

While working on my research work, I 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 you find like-minded people, or it can lead to loneliness.

Bibliography.

1. Bilich G.L., Nazarova L.V. Fundamentals of valeology. -: MSMHS, 1998.

2. Bogatova T., Laprun I. “Computer and health – are they compatible?”

3. Popov S.V., Valueology at school and at home. –.: Union, 1997.

4. Timofeev O. “Computer for health: how to maintain it when working with a PC. Doctor's view"

5. www.mednovosti.ru

6. www.inopressa.ru

7. www.coder.kiev.ua.

Annex 1.

Questionnaire

Do you have a computer at home?

Do you know how to work on a computer?

At what age did you start working on a computer?

How many hours a day on average do you spend at the computer?

What will you prefer: computer or sports?

Do you play computer games?

How much time do you spend playing computer games?

Do you easily break away from the game?

Do you have a constant desire to play?

What would you prefer: communicating with a friend or with a computer?

What interests you more: a computer or reading a book?

What would you prefer: a walk in the fresh air or a computer?

Do you do eye exercises?

How many hours a day do you think you can work on a computer?

Do your eyes get tired when working on a computer?

Do you visit a computer room?

How much time do you spend in the computer room?

How often do you do eye exercises?

What games do you like to play?

20. Which communication with a friend do you think is better: via computer or directly?

Test "Computer Addiction"

1. How often do you play computer games?
a) every day -3 points
b) every other day -2 points
c) when there is nothing to do -1 point

2. How many hours do you play?
a) 2-3 hours, well more -3 points
b) an hour or 2 hours (when I start playing) - 2 points
c) maximum hour - 1 point

3. Do you turn off the computer yourself?
a) parents, until the computer overheats or until I fall asleep myself or until I stop distinguishing colors or until my back hurts - 3 points
b) whenever possible, sometimes I even turn off the computer myself - 2 points
c) of course himself and of his own free will - 1 point

4. When you have time, you spend it on...
a) of course on a computer - 3 points
b) well, I don’t know, it all depends on the occasion (I can sit at the computer) - 2 points
c) I’m unlikely to sit down - 1 point

5. Have you skipped school or another important event in order to play on the computer?
a) yes, he was absent - 3 points
b) well, it happened a couple of times, and even then it was not such an important event - 2 points
c) no - 1 point

6. Do you often think about the computer or computer games?
a) yes all the time - 3 points
b) well, I remember a couple of times a day - 2 points
c) rarely I hardly remember - 1 point

7. What role does the computer play for you?
a) everything or almost everything - 3 points
b) well, it means a lot, but there are still many things that mean no less to me - 2 points
c) yes, he doesn’t play any role for me -1 point

8. When you come home, the first thing you do is...
a) sit down at the computer - 3 points
b) I can sit at the computer - 2 points
c) I definitely won’t sit at the computer - 1 point

Rating scale:
From 8 to 12 points: stage of interest
From 13 to 18 points: infatuation stage
From 19 to 24 points: stage of dependence

Appendix 2.

Prevention of diseases of the spine and joints.

To prevent the above diseases, you should properly organize a place at the computer, change your position as often as possible or get up from the computer and, if possible, do gymnastics and play sports.

Workplace, correct hand position

While at the computer, the most optimal body position is in which: the back and neck are straight, the legs are on the floor with a right angle of bend at the knees, the bend angle at the elbows is also straight (90 degrees). To do this you should:

1. Place the monitor directly in front of you, so that its top point is directly in front of your eyes or higher. (This will allow you to keep your head straight and prevent the development of cervical osteochondrosis).

2. The chair on which you sit must have a back and armrests, as well as a height at which your feet can rest firmly on the floor. (The backrest will allow you to keep your back straight, the armrests will give you the opportunity to rest your arms, and the correct position of your legs will not interfere with blood circulation in them.)

3. The location of other frequently used things, if possible, should not lead to a long stay in any curved position, and should not lead to bending to the side, especially for lifting heavy objects (it is with such a bend that there is the greatest likelihood of damaging the intervertebral disc) .

4. When working with the mouse and keyboard, press the keys smoothly and effortlessly; when typing, place your wrists on a table or a special stand, which will allow you to relax your hands. When working with a mouse, the hand should be straight and lie on the table as far from the edge as possible.

Appendix 3.

Physiotherapy

There are many exercises to develop the back muscles, mainly bending in different directions. Swimming and exercises on the horizontal bar are very useful.

Hand exercise

The more often you stop to do the exercises, the more benefits they will bring.

Shake your hands.

Clench your fingers into fists (10 times).

Rotate your fists around your axis.

Pressing with one hand on the fingers of the other hand from the side of the palm, as if turning the palm and wrist outward.

With these exercises you will improve blood circulation in your muscles.

Eye exercises

1. Close your eyes for ~10 seconds

2. Blink quickly for ~5-10 seconds.

3. Make several circular movements with your eyes.

4. Change the focus several times, to do this, look first at some point on the window (if it is very clean, you can stick a small piece of paper) and then into the distance (at the clouds, a distant house, etc.)

5. To relieve irritation, or to relax your eyes, take a brewed tea bag (already cold), place it on your eyes and lie there for ~ 10 minutes.

Appendix 4.

Prevention of nervous disorders.

1. Try to make sure that your computer has as few glitches as possible and irritates you as little as possible. For example, structure information so that it is easy to find, clean your mouse more often so that the unruly cursor does not irritate you, etc.

2. On the Internet: do not wait for a long time for a page to load, look at another one at this time, try to use high-quality access.

3. Stop working with the computer as often as possible, and spend more time outside if possible. You must ensure that working at the computer is comfortable for you and does not cause irritation.

Appendix 5.

Protection against electromagnetic radiation.

1. If possible, it is worth purchasing an LCD monitor, since its radiation is much less than that of common CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors.

2. The system unit and monitor should be located as far away from you as possible.

3. Do not leave the computer turned on for a long time if you are not using it, although this will accelerate the wear and tear of the computer, it is better for your health. Also, do not forget to use the "sleep mode" for the monitor.

4. Due to the fact that electromagnetic radiation from the walls of the monitor is much greater, try to place the monitor in a corner so that the radiation is absorbed by the walls.

5. If possible, reduce the time you spend working at the computer and interrupt your work more often.

6. The computer must be grounded. If you purchased a protective screen, then it should also be grounded; for this purpose, a wire is specially provided, at the end of which there is a metal clothespin (do not hook it to the system unit).

Nowadays, any more or less decent social sphere of human activity cannot do without a computer. Just like the TV and telephone, the computer has been introduced into private use in houses and apartments to connect their inhabitants with the world (e-mail), for the intellectual development of individuals of any age, and to satisfy their hunger for information. For many, having a computer is as prestigious and convenient as, for example, having a microwave or having a decent car. Even many writers and famous people who are conservatively opposed to the computer, whose work in their youth and youth were perfectly accomplished without this then completely unheard of comprehensive electronic “brain”, in the so-called years of stagnation, admit that they are forced to master it today. Using a computer, they will be able to make their intellectual contribution to the information life of society.

But no progress comes easily to a person. By acquiring one, he loses another in return. Doctors are sounding the alarm about this expensive “price”: the computer contributes to the destruction of not only a person’s physical, but also mental health.

Communication with a computer should be strictly dosed. Without the assimilation and application of strict measures and rules in practice, it can destroy the fragile human biological system.

The previous chapters talked about computer diseases: which vital organs are affected by them. But this concerned only human physiology. Various abuses of time devoted to the computer lead to astheno-neurotic syndrome - impotence due to weakened immunity. Diseases easily attach themselves. Physical ill health is the road to depression, a new diagnosis - the so-called computer stress. And this is a disturbance in sleep, appetite, headaches and difficulties in communication...

Another important aspect that has a harmful effect on the nervous system is the often encountered educational computer programs (TCPs), compiled without psychological and pedagogical justification. They can cause serious damage to the health of students, that is, lead to mental disorders. When it turns out that instead of the required knowledge, students have learned some false, inadequate knowledge, which led them to incomprehensible errors in solving problems, then one can imagine what an unimaginable psychological shock awaits them due to the low results they receive in exams.

Modern information technologies do not exclude the possibility of the emergence of “environmentally dangerous” surprises for humans - false knowledge presented by “misguided” OKP, the authors, who, when compiling them, trusted only their intuition, without having experience in a special pedagogical methodology.

A person cannot oppose himself to a computer, thinking of himself as an omnipotent, invulnerable crown of nature's creation. To remain indifferent to the fact that the computer is the enemy of mental health, leaving the problem to the mercy of fate, as if it will solve itself, means increasing the number of moral cripples.

First of all, you should listen to the advice of doctors. To weaken the influence of the electromagnetic field of a computer on a person, after every hour of work (and it is advisable to spend no more than 3-4 hours at the computer per day), you need to take breaks, but not for smoking, but for active recreation. Light gymnastics, table tennis, self-massage of the cervical spine or active points on the face and hands will help relieve tension.

A balanced diet plays an important role in preventing computer stress. Enemies of the digestive system increase the depletion of the nervous system: hamburgers, pizzas, all kinds of salty crackers and chips. Long-term consumption of tea and coffee leads to constipation and gastritis. Plant fiber and fermented milk products should definitely make up your menu. You need to eat at least three times a day.

It is known that water enriched with silver strengthens the immune system. Immerse a silver coin of Tsarist or early Soviet minting in spring water for a day or two. Prepare the following mixture: one glass of “silver” water, half a glass of natural juice of carrots, lingonberries and sea buckthorn, juice of three lemons, 100 g of honey. Drink half a glass in the morning and evening before meals.

Everyone knows that walnut kernels resemble the outlines of the cerebral hemispheres, and this is no coincidence. Nature seems to have shown that nuts are good for brain function. Grind 200 g of nuts, mix them with honey, dried apricots and prunes (all 300 g), with 50 g of aloe juice and the juice of five lemons. After the mixture has stood for 3-4 days, take a tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.

To relieve fatigue, it is very useful to inhale the vapors of any essential oil - mint, rose, lavender, and for low blood pressure - Chinese lemongrass, leuzea, geranium.

We should take a critical look at the body stimulants that have become fashionable: ginseng, pantocrip, zamanikha. In case of overdose, they can cause insomnia, disrupt heart rhythm, and lead to undesirable effects.

Herbal medicine brings good results for the prevention of computer stress. Make an infusion of 4-5 herbs and drink half a glass in the morning and evening before meals for a long time. These can be herbs such as St. John's wort, mint, birch buds, immortelle, yarrow, lemon balm.

The most important thing: such bad habits as unlimited drinking of alcohol and smoking for those who are forced to communicate with a computer are additional “manure” to the “fertile soil” on which a new illness will grow - “computer stress”.

DURATION OF WORK, OR HOW TO NOT BECOME A “MANIAC”

There is no universal recipe for how to avoid becoming a “computer addict.” Once upon a time, psychologists lamented about “telemania.” Everything was explained by the fact that a person would become fixated and isolate himself from the world. Then the video settled into homes, and cinemas were almost empty. Computers proliferated, and a new wave of concern arose about whether they were evil for humanity, or whether it was not such a big deal.

Excessive use of the computer is similar to “computer addiction.” To avoid “computer stress”, after 30–40 minutes of working in front of the monitor, you need to take a relaxing break.

If this happens at night and there are clear stars in the sky, then it is better to go outside and get some fresh air. Stretch your hands to the sky and take a deep breath. This is how energy is “scooped” as if from outer space.

Sleep at least eight hours a night. After a complete good night's rest, the working day should begin with a review of the organization of the workplace. The computer should be in a spacious, well-ventilated room, the monitor should be in line with the eyes and half a meter from the face.

First of all, you should protect your eyes: often look away from the screen to some distant object. It’s better to let this object be a painting - a landscape with a predominance of greenery. It’s a good idea to completely close your eyelids for two minutes and relax your facial muscles. You can easily blink 10–15 times, then close your eyes, trying to tense all the muscles of your neck, face and head. Then, again relaxing the muscles, slowly exhaling, turn your head to the left, back, right and in the opposite direction.

At a distance of a step from the wall, fall on it, leaning on your palms. This way you can move the muscles of your arms, shoulder girdle and chest repeatedly, more than five times.

This warm-up should be done every hour and a half of working with the computer.

Remember, your health is in your hands. There is an alternative: the Canary Islands or a hospital bed. Of course, holidays in Russia can be just as good. For example, holiday homes in the town of Khvalynsk in the Saratov region are not inferior in the beauty of landscapes, that is, vegetation, springs, gardens and other advantages, to the prestigious resorts of Switzerland. There are many other places in Russia for recreation, travel and excursions. Good rest is the key to good health.

For those who are forced to communicate a lot with a computer as part of their job, the main wish is addressed to them - to lead a busy lifestyle: walk in the forest, in the garden, visit theaters, museums, getting a variety of impressions. All this will help to avoid computer addiction, which affects the psyche of a person who is “captured” by virtual computer programs and games.

Be afraid of becoming a computer geek. Look at the Internet cafe regulars. The power of computer games and multimedia technologies has atrophied their senses and limited their vocabulary - it has become slang.

Of course, it is easy for people who have an inner core of deep spiritual content, willpower, and a desire for a variety of life’s pleasures to slip out of the traps that, like emotional traps, are placed in virtual life there, “behind the screen.” So, for example, the composer and performer of his songs, bard Sergei Nikitin is not at all worried about his relationship with computer technology: “I like to compose in the forest, but the computer, it’s heavy, you can’t carry it to the forest,” he says. Although computer tablets have already appeared that look like notepads.

Comedian and writer Arkady Arkanov got used to the computer: “I played everything: “Casino”, “Field of Miracles”, “Prince”, and how much time I spent playing preference! Moreover, I can’t get used to the fact that the program in the pref is compiled at an average level. When my partners make mistakes again, I get terribly angry and swear at them with not the most decent words.

I once couldn’t move from a pen to a typewriter, but from a typewriter to a computer it was much easier. Right now I’m writing a book on the computer...”

Everyone runs the risk of becoming a “computer maniac,” but the degree of this risk depends on the individual characteristics of the individual.

Today there is a lot of talk about the effects of electromagnetic fields on the human body. Scientific works, dissertations with previous studies and experiments are devoted to this. But few people note the energy-informational influence of a computer on a biological object (human).

The situation is considered when, when using an operational program, the energy information field of the system unit completely absorbs the operator and takes away his energy. The operator remains like a “squeezed lemon”; he feels physically tired. When working at a computer for a long time, the energy output of the operator increases. If its operation becomes almost identical to the robot’s operating mode, then a pre-infarction state or vasospasm is guaranteed to the PC user.

Certain protective devices present in computer units are not always able to protect the operator from fatigue. Perhaps the previous user put on them his own negative information regarding his state of health or the quality of the programs he used. Each user must develop for himself the same personal protective equipment as personal hygiene products. Do not loosen control over your physical condition.

The volume and content of the programs indicate the corresponding nature and intensity of the impact of the absorbing energy-information field. Therefore, it is better not to add programs to your computer’s memory that are of no use to you in the near future.

The use of a computer is communication with an energy-information field endowed with active intelligence. It contains programs that are completely unnecessary and “unnecessary” for you.

You need to clearly understand the purpose of using computer technology. Only her prudent use will make it possible to organize work to acquire in her person an equally prudent interlocutor. Or, due to his partial ignorance, a PC user may acquire an exhausting energy information object in the energy information corridor.

Analyze how you feel when learning a program. Remember that not all television programs appeal to you: some are annoying and you immediately turn them off, while others charge you emotionally and improve your mood.

Remember that the energy-informational world is a subtle world, and you cannot joke with it. Before you turn on your computer screen, clearly imagine the goal of what and how you are going to do, and it will cost you less bioenergy to do it.

A commercial advertisement that appeared on television about Internet “joysters” in the form of a human being, a subject multiplying into phantoms before our eyes, makes us think that they make it clear to us about communication with the energy-information field: we “make” and “breed” our “doubles” ...

GAMBLING ADDICTION

One of the creative leaders on the subject of his relationship with computer technology, film director Viktor Merezhko, says: “I have a computer, but I have no idea what kind. Sometimes I sit down to type on it, but I can’t stand it for long - it’s unusual, my eyes get tired, and I again return to the typewriter, to which I am very accustomed. But my thirteen-year-old son Vanya is delighted with the computer, and it is absolutely impossible to tear him away when he starts catching up with someone or playing shooting games. I tried to play it several times, but I can’t. I feel like I’m getting dumber from playing computer games.”

Yes, this is another negative aspect that develops in social life with the entry of the computer into it - gambling addiction.

At the end of the century before last, the American design engineer Charles Fey invented an unusual machine, to which greedy and gambling human natures were immediately drawn. It was a “mechanical gaming machine.” She quickly earned the nickname "one-armed bandit." From the city of San Francisco, the “one-armed bandit” set out to conquer the world. It reached us in computerized form with a display.

Gambling addiction is the pursuit of illusory luck. It underlies any type of game, be it cards or roulette, slot machine, or computer game.

Since the 1970s, the American doctor R. Custer from a hospital in Breckosville, Ohio, has noticed gamblers who need to be observed and treated. He observed 50 of these "doomed" players and hospitalized them for three to six weeks. They experienced a one- to two-day “withdrawal” syndrome, which manifested itself in severe headaches to the point of nausea and intestinal upset. All this was similar to a hangover or “withdrawal” of drug addicts.

Custer argues that the disease “gaming addiction” can affect a person of any age, as well as a social group: workers, white-collar workers, businessmen, housewives, military personnel, the unemployed, priests, creative intellectuals.

How many people like AIDS patients are there today who are actively infecting others? No one can say for sure. But we can say that the gaming “plague” threatens mental health. Destruction occurs in all sorts of manifestations: careers collapse, families break up, personality degradation occurs.

American psychologists and psychiatrists have made great progress in studying the phenomenon of gambling addiction. So, they decided that painful excitement is nothing more than a psychological escape from reality, the desire to forget the pain of experienced feelings in unpleasant situations. A gambling person was emotionally suppressed in childhood or adolescence. These emotions take their toll and burst out.

A complex person usually comes from a dysfunctional psychological environment in which he withdraws and does not find a common language with others. Time passes, and someday he dives into the loophole of the game in the hope of establishing himself in this world under the sun, getting stuck deeper and deeper in the “quagmire” of excitement.

The most dangerous age is adolescence. A person of a turning point one day takes a drag on a cigarette to drown out his mental pain, drinks a glass of wine, experiences the process of an exciting gambling game on a slot machine and wins a few coins. He associates the next loss with an evil irony of fate. And, trying to prove something to her, he gets money by any means to satisfy his passion.

A painful passion for gambling quickly and imperceptibly passes into the chronic stage. A sign of “doom” is a frequent game with increasing rates. The player falls into a debt hole. He criminally gets out of it and continues to play. Everything ends badly: either in a psychiatric clinic or unnatural death.

In Russia, for many decades, there were no casinos with roulette, the electronic counterparts of the “one-armed bandit.” Today, only lazy people do not install slot machines in their retail establishments.

The gambling business is a huge profit. And our country was swept by a murky wave of the gambling business. And Russian psychiatrists and psychologists will have to clear away this accumulated garbage in human souls.

It has long been known that there is a pathological addiction to gambling. And experts consider this a mental disorder that requires treatment.

Four years ago, there were no cases of visits to psychiatrists with such an illness. But they have already appeared and their number is increasing. People become infected with the gambling addiction virus from childhood and adolescence. This is the population group most vulnerable to this terrible virus. And among the adults, those who are weak-willed, suspicious, and prone to alcoholism are drawn into the network of gambling addiction. Moreover, television also “treats” our gullible viewer with television lotteries, television games and other programs in this genre, tempting the player with material benefits. Gambling addiction is like a tsunami in its destructive impact. You can lose your well-being in a matter of hours. The mental disorder is almost beyond recovery.

Russian society did not immediately understand the harmfulness of everything new: Internet cafes, night discos, gaming clubs, casinos... Domestic oligarchs do not care that gambling is a terrible disease, like a malignant tumor, corroding the human soul. Russian business leaders have their own disease - greed and insatiability for money, which is obtained by any means, including dirty ones: through drugs, gambling. They are not interested in millions of broken destinies.

Perhaps the leaders of at least some levels of government will realize that it is time to address this problem. There are attempts in the State Duma to legitimize something in decisions to reduce the evil of the gaming business in favor of the moral health of the population. Information on this topic was published in the press. But the casinos only multiplied because of this, the number of slot machines did not decrease: they were not removed or moved anywhere... At least, today this is the case, but maybe tomorrow something will change...

INTERNET ADDICTION

The victory of Internet addiction over people with a weak nervous system and a vulnerable psyche occurs as a result of frequent forced long-term interaction with computer virtual programs that suppress their consciousness. In the labyrinths of the Internet, you can get away from loneliness, look for a way out of difficult situations, and fill your free time without any goals. Students often find a “taste” of love for the Internet in search of the necessary information for their essays and term papers. This is facilitated by libraries that are not able to properly help the student. Libraries are not open 24 hours a day or on holidays. And “browsing” on the Internet can be simply convenient. With all this, the same evil is present: deterioration in general condition, nervous system disorder, psychological stress, spinal disease, decreased vision.

We have already talked about how to reduce this negative impact on human health, and we will discuss this topic more than once. But be that as it may, we can no longer imagine our society without a computer. Today they talk about a computer as a living, intelligent being, as a new form of life. He thinks like a person, but is not capable of any insights, insights, intuition, clairvoyance. Compared to a person, a computer has its advantages. His rational, logical component is brought to the point of virtuosity. People do not know how to quickly calculate hundreds of options in their minds. We complain about our bad memory. In order not to forget something, we draw a cross on our palm or tie a knot on a scarf, or we write down the necessary thought in a book and still don’t remember that note in time. Therefore, having a repository of information on the Internet at hand is very convenient and comfortable. And it is not a fantasy that the improvement of computer thinking will gradually bring it closer to human ones.

It seems to some scientists that over time computers will take over the world, since as individuality and autonomy of self-production grow, they will completely master information. The form of existence of modern computers is constantly changing. And it is possible that “unnatural” components that have no analogue in the body of living beings - mouse, keyboard, monitor, system unit - will be replaced with something like biological structures. In the near future, the functionality of the computer will be directed toward bringing it closer to a living system. Projects of computers of unexpected design with voice input of information were developed. This has already happened in America, Japan and other countries. It is not surprising that, according to the latest forecasts, in ten years the project will acquire “flesh and blood”...

The Internet, presumably, does not depend on us. It is we who are getting deeper and deeper into this repository of information. We ourselves have memory, and we have oblivion. Only before death does our brain “rewind the film” of memory. The computer is not in danger of clinical death. Data entered into it many years ago can be retrieved at any time.

Increasingly, experts are announcing the development of self-healing computers. Today, computers cannot produce themselves without human intervention. But it is, in principle, possible to reproduce them automatically. In order for a “father” computer to generate a “son” computer from the original ones using an assembly program on a machine that controls the computer, all developers, designers and cybernetic scientists need to work on a similar process for a few years.

To give individuality, the final products need to be endowed with distinctive features, and self-production requires a special code. It is thanks to the genetic code that an eaglet is born from an eagle, and not a cuckoo. In the future, a computer may well have the characteristics of a living being. It’s not for nothing that he became the emblem of the 21st century. There was not only computerization of all aspects of social life, but also its invasion into the sphere of art - with the help of computer programs, popular pseudo-fiction works appeared. As for works in the genre of science fiction about computers, their plot is based on the fact that in some unpredictable way a computer gains independence, and it enslaves people. Isn’t it true that it seems like one step from Internet addiction to slavery in captivity of computers? Subconsciously we refuse to believe it. “Being attached” to the computer, we still consider it our subordinate. However, we admire its capabilities, we get angry when programs “glitch”, we are upset about the virus on the Internet. Some scientists, for example Ardalion Kireev, are convinced that “a computer is not just a new type of technical device, but a new form of life created by man.”

We speak of a computer as a living being when it stops functioning – “died.” The car does not die, but breaks down. A computer cannot break, it just dies, and if you “fix” it (install a new hard drive), you will get a different individual, just like in a living being during a brain transplant - you can create another individual.

Cybernetics and cyberbiologists dream of computers that will repair and restore themselves: renewing their “lungs”, then their “heart”. Their “soul” will be immortal, while their “body” will gradually become mortal. And the person will be Internet addicted. And does this make sense? There probably is, if the desire of scientists is for computer thinking to gradually move closer to human thinking. The task of cyberbiologists is to eliminate the harm to humans from Internet addiction.

And yet, an Internet traveler, if he has been doing this for about two years, may change beyond recognition and not for the better. The villainous disease that has crept up on him is much more difficult to treat than alcoholism. This is the so-called Internet addiction, when the user, if he is “separated” from the computer, becomes ill in the head, his hands go numb, at times his eyes even go blind, and his appetite disappears. One has only to let the patient near the monitor - a miracle happens, as if he were not infirm. The Internet turns out to be a magic “pill”: illnesses disappear instantly. A person receives the charge of “health” his body requires.

This phenomenon was first discovered by psychotherapists in America in the 1990s, when senior managers of several companies turned to them for advice when something incomprehensible was happening to their employees. No, they did not violate discipline, but they became strangely absent-minded, spent a long time in the office at the end of the working day, without looking up from their computers, and the quality of the work they did decreased somewhat. Doctors diagnosed the “strange” victims with “Internet addiction.” The conclusion was that this dependence is pathological and the term “addiction” is suitable for it - an attraction to something: drugs, the Internet, computer games, that is, to everything that “takes” a person from real reality to the virtual one.

With the spread of the Internet in Russia, Internet-addicted Russians appeared in small numbers. Poverty saves you from the epidemic. Many cannot afford the Internet, but those who have joined it at home or at work in offices risk becoming computer “networkaholics” if they do not turn off the monitor continuously for more than three hours. Little by little, mental addiction cripples a person’s life. For example, a girl completely stops leaving the house, ignores classes at the institute, she has no energy left, she does not sleep at night, because at this time Internet access becomes cheaper. The girl's character completely deteriorates: she is mostly angry. Her friends turn away from her. Her parents don't understand what's happening with her speech. She doesn't formulate her thoughts well. It is impossible to unplug the computer: the girl immediately develops severe headaches. In the end, a psychotherapist is called to help her.

Our low-income Russians, having fallen in love with the Internet, are forced to go to extremes, for example, taking things out of the house for sale, just to stay online.

The Internet becomes a kind of “high” for those who are underestimated in life, and there, in virtual reality, they find their admirers. It's partly like losing your mind. Insecure people compensate for loneliness; By logging on to the Internet, they start flirting and having affairs. They fall in love with a fictional world and live there, behind the screen. But here, in the real world, they become “lost” to others. The result is physical defects in the body as a result of nervous exhaustion, damage to the nerve trunks of the fingers, insomnia, damage to the eyes from ruptures of blood vessels in the ocular cornea, nervous irritation that is not contained, but spills out onto loved ones and household members. Doctors believe that it is possible to cure computer addicts. They must be gradually returned from the illusory to the real world.

For psychiatrists, this is very painstaking work that requires high professionalism. They have to explain to Internet addicts that even in the normal world, life is filled with real meaning. And this is philosophy. It is not easy to convince a person that the real world is much more beautiful than the computer world.

Russia ranks 14th in the world (10.8 million people) in terms of Internet usage in the world. Israelis are in first place in the number of hours spent on the Global Network per week (57.5 hours). This means that they can stay online for over two days!

The Internet is a “big garbage dump”, as it contains a lot of uncertified information. Controlling the Internet is difficult. Even if there are filters on all sorts of obscene sites (pedophile, extremist and others), the level of control leaves much to be desired.

According to journalists, which they have developed during their practice, it is much more difficult to present information that is positive; negative information is easier to convey.

Having once appeared as one of the computer applications, the Internet solved only certain problems. But it turned out that it covered the whole world with its web and millions of people got the opportunity, sitting at home or in the office, to be “transported” across vast distances to overseas databases, to electronic libraries, to the venues of football matches, on dates with friends and business partners. The Internet has become an integral part of humanity's way of life. And if in some village of ten yards someone does not know about the Global Network and has no idea about e-mail, then this is not surprising, because even in megacities the Internet has not “looked” into all apartments. Expensive “bandwidth” is one of its problems.

The Russian telecommunications market, which provides access to the Internet, uses power grids of the latest technologies. In the future, the Internet will become a reality in all homes, apartments and small offices, as a new wave of interest has arisen in Electronet, which opens broadband Internet access through the power supply network. In the meantime, the number of Internet users in Russia has exceeded one billion. And this figure will gradually approach the number of people who have a telephone, a TV and even... running water. And all this because Electronet will make sure that the number of Internet users grows not only due to computers, but also due to household devices controlled via the Internet: air conditioners, microwave ovens, refrigerators.

Full access to the Internet and e-mail is supported and maintained by an independent sector of the economy. The Internet has not escaped the fate of becoming one of the business tools. “Electronet” is e-commerce. Now you can make transactions using the Internet by placing offers of goods and services through the website. These are online stores that sell books, software, videos, audio recordings, and computer components.

Of course, there is no order on the Internet, although, knowing where and how to search, you can extract useful information. There are catalogs of resources and search engines, but still every day the Internet is replenished with millions of www pages to replace others that disappear without a trace.

There are many aspects of Internet addiction. One of them is public free libraries. In the chronicle of computerization in Russia, the first library opened in 1995 on Smolenskaya Square, 13/21, in the premises of the library named after N. Dobrolyubov. It used eight stations of high-quality equipment (based on Samsung Ereen Computer 4866) to reproduce information recorded on laser discs.

About 250 thousand pages of typewritten text are stored in one CD-ROM. This is an eternal memory, which, thanks to the use of multimedia tools, makes it easier to understand the structure of texts while searching for the desired material.

Thanks to multimedia, information for children and teenagers has now become visual, combined with animation and music, with game inserts. This, of course, is much more attractive than the books.

The libraries of large capital cities contain countless CD-ROM reference books on all areas of interest to intelligent intelligence: art, politics, history, geography; There are encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, multimedia films, essays on various political, historical, catastrophic events, and files of periodicals.

The main thing here is freedom; Availability of opportunities is one of the characteristics of the Internet.

And anyone who once encountered multimedia in the computer world probably remained bewitched by this technological achievement. Multimedia is the interaction of visual and audio effects controlled by interactive software installed on PC hardware.

What else could humanity dream of? Modern grandparents, recalling their childhood in an attempt to find there something similar to modern developing multimedia technologies, extract from their memory only memories of the filmstrips they once had: color films that at home could be inserted into a kinescope and projected through pictures of him on a white wall in the dark. Moreover, the handle had to be turned. Fiction cinema was and remains “one of the most important arts for the people.” People went to cinemas in droves.

What else surprises us with the Internet? Not only humans become dependent on it, but also multifunctional household robots. Having a humanoid appearance, they are able to answer questions, gaining the necessary knowledge on the Internet. This is a new step in the development of robotics.

The Japanese company Sony has long distributed a sort of 58-centimeter robot on the computer market. He talks, moves quickly, dances, plays sports. Robots as a market product have long been common in the United States and the West.

It does not depend on our desire or unwillingness whether “smart” cars will become a mandatory attribute of the future or not. All works of science fiction and films with futurological forecasts are stuffed with robots. It's scary if the Terminator scenario ever comes true.

Very “emotional and sensitive” machines are quite capable of remotely analyzing our pupils, body temperature, and changes in voice intonation. It’s not far from reading our thoughts based on brain activity. Our emotions will be understood by the robot. He will be able to respond to them.

However, at present there are already robots from HPDJ and Hewlett Packard that can compose music that matches a person’s mood, which is determined using a sensor bracelet attached to the wrist.

We have already mentioned that in the coming decades, self-replicating computerized machines will begin to compete with humans for resources. According to the terrible predictions of science fiction writers, it is possible that all these technologies will combine into one super-android that will enslave humanity. But people in their essence are adventurers in the good sense of the word, adventure lovers.

Roboticists interested in merging man and machine believe that these systems can be turned into very useful and safe “subjects.” For example, in an exoskeleton for the paralyzed or in a talking “kompfetka” - a prompter system for elderly people with developing sclerosis, as well as in cameras and artificial vision sensors for the blind.

Fantasy has no boundaries. Remember that the beam described by Alexei Tolstoy in the novel “Engineer Garin’s Hyperboloid” became a reality.

Enthusiasts are passionate about robotics: physics teachers, businessmen... Among them there are “homemade people” who are proud of “spy robots”, “insect robots” and other robotic creations. They all use the Internet.

What the Internet is not connected with... A new picture of the “creation of the world” has appeared - “nanotechnology”.

The words “nanotechnology” and “nanorobot” come from the Greek nanos - “dwarf”. The prefix nano means parts equal in size to one billionth of the original unit.

Imagine: a “bunch” of molecules equipped with intelligence appears in consumer goods. They give her the order: “Be a TV!” – and a “bunch” of robotic molecules begins to show different pictures. Environmentally, they can turn trash into oxygen and clean up the planet.

And by the end of the 21st century, according to roboticists, the issue of hunger on our planet will be resolved. This is explained by the fact that people will stop eating things that grow, walk, swim, fly, because in nanotechnology it will become possible, for example, to process substances along the chain “soil - CO2 - nanorobots - meat.”

In the middle of the 21st century, the first flight of a pterodactyl recreated by microscopic mechanisms will certainly take place. It will become possible to imitate living beings or resurrect extinct species.

“What’s the point of this other than self-indulgence?” - you say. Well, this is just for the experiment. But the creation of artificial intelligence will follow the path of constructing a common microcircuit from many independent and in themselves very “talented” mechanisms. Computers will operate indistinguishably from the human brain, that is, they will be endowed with a copy of human intelligence. And finally, humanity’s dream of immortality will be realized through the introduction of robots into the body that renew living tissues.

This is how things are planned. And it all started with a fairy-tale character - the Tin Woodman. True, it was of a simple design, without the essence of a cyborg. But he’s a tough guy with an axe. He was the only one from his entourage who walked through the drug addict’s poppy field, and even dragged the others through. But he dreamed of a loving heart.

Imagine that our beloved “Terminator” Arnold Schwarzenegger bought himself two robots for 960 thousand dollars. They do the cleaning, make cocktails, wash the dishes, and walk the dog. American actor and singer Will Smith, who starred in the film “I Am Robot,” dreams of a female mechanical person. This is what he once said: “I am much more afraid of people - their psychological unpreparedness for the rapid changes that are taking place in the modern world.”

INFOMANIA

Man is a social being. Without communication with his own kind, he cannot imagine life as normal. And he likens the computer to his interlocutor. Having previously informed him, the person himself extracts information from him. A kind of exchange takes place. A person strives to be informed because he lives in today's era of information. We have already said that it implies computerization of all spheres of life from everyday life to science. Understanding information has even become an expensive commodity. Such a concept as intellectual property has become the object of legal protection.

Intelligence is the ability of a system to distinguish itself from the surrounding reality, subject it to analysis, formulate ideas, and create spiritual values. A sign of intellectual property is exclusivity, novelty, and non-triviality. It contributes to the development of society and the individual. It satisfies environmental, spiritual and material needs.

In the age of information, the computer phenomenon that information is a commodity has given rise to computer crime. This phenomenon originated in North America. In the mid-60s of the twentieth century, a computer was first used as a “master key” during a bank robbery. And soon the distinction between computer crime and hacking became blurred.

“A hacker,” according to the St. Petersburg magazine “Information Protection,” is a user who tries to make changes to software, often without the right to do so.” Hackers are cyberspace intruders. They use the information to find illegal ways to gain access to protected data. Hackers are interested in ways to penetrate a software and hardware system. Smart, complex modern computers attract hackers as targets for research.

There are so many representatives of the computer “subculture” now! Computer “pirates”, creators of computer viruses... Highly professional hackers can remove protection from any program for a certain amount. Despite the highest level of security complexity, an elite hacker will still crack it. There is a saying among information security professionals: “A good hacker is a dead hacker!”

Hacking is computer romance. It was born out of the curiosity of bright personalities who feel omnipotent. It seems to them that they are playing with complex machines, forcing them to be under their control, while for the uninitiated their behavior is unpredictable. Hackers are considered the elite of programmers.

Hackers are crackers. By their nature, hackers can be very persistent. Some experts dream of complete information security on the Internet, which is currently impossible to ensure. Any encoding is decrypted by trying various options. The computer world has found itself defenseless against electronic scammers.

A free society and a democratic world have found themselves in a situation similar to terror. Thus, according to academician Boris Babayan, the ideology of computer science, that is, “the hardware and operating systems of a computer is a passing yard. They evaluate everyone who comes in purely formally. Let's say the operating system perceives viruses as legitimate programs and is obliged to execute them. After that you are naked. The virus spreads its wings and corrupts files.” Babayan created the Security system. She "arrests" a computer hacker and puts him in a small "prison cell" cell. He remains in the “cage” for life.

The troubles associated with modern information mania can be of all kinds for a person. Even in the womb, the baby encounters a computer in medical institutions! The level of pathology in pregnant women has increased, probably due to some general environmental deterioration in our lives. Therefore, predicting possible troubles in time during childbirth and immediately after the birth of a baby with the help of a computer “friend” is very important for doctors. Not only do doctors have to learn the basics of computer literacy themselves, but the computer also performs the finest ultrascopic examination of the fetus in the womb. It remains to be seen what kind of double-edged sword will be revealed over time as a result of such computer information extraction operations. This invasion of nature, an attempt to “regulate” its processes of the birth of subsequent generations of humanity will still “say” something about itself.

Another threat is sexual predators roaming electronic mailboxes. Adult women are shocked, boys and girls are perplexed when names like “pedophile page” or “zoophile corner” appear among stock market news. An open Sabbath of evil spirits begins...

The electronic bulletin board “Amurny Bazaar,” where children can be offered to you for sexual pleasure, attracted one journalist to the experiment. She placed “self-promotion” on it, introducing herself as a “thirteen-year-old sweetie.” Soon the lady received a bag of “slop” letters. A certain “elderly programmer” asked the “candy” for “a pair of worn panties.”

It’s good if an Internet user, having seen indecent information, breaks off the connection and immediately informs the “supervisor” (overseer) of the Network.

And if not, then it means that the person has become a reckless infomaniac, succumbing to special technologies that attract attention. He gets drawn into role-playing games. Thus, a certain young man “met” his soul mate via the Internet and fell in love, meeting her daily in chat rooms. The young man insisted on a real meeting with the girl. Then she admitted that she lives in Australia. The meeting dragged on, but still took place. The “Australian sweetheart” appeared before him as a homosexual - a man from Penza. The young man was on the verge of suicide - he was so shocked and crushed morally. So the information played a cruel joke on the person.

Nevertheless, those who are not today will agree tomorrow that a cultured person of the 21st century is a person who has computer literacy and is able to separate the grains from the chaff in the information received from an electronic interlocutor.

One of the manifestations of information mania was the Internet competition of science fiction writers. They were among the pioneers of computer networks. The author of the scandalous “Wolfhound,” Maria Semenova, at the dawn of computerization of the Russian population, independently assembled a home computer and began communicating via the Internet with colleagues across state borders. Collective creativity blossomed, growing into a world Internet competition of the Club of Science Fiction Lovers (CLF). There were many competitions.

The most famous and popular fiction competition is called “Ragged Hot Water Contest.” Writers measured their coolness by writing about a supernova. As a result, “Grelki” was published in a circulation of 10 thousand copies, made in high-quality typographical way.

Competitions have given the world great texts. Aspiring authors were able to gain fame thanks to their talent. The Internet helped them “reach out” to publishing houses and speed up the solution of typographic problems. What could regular mail do for these authors? And simply by posting your essay on the Internet, you can loudly make yourself known without the consent of the editors. The era of online information mania is just beginning.

Now let's talk about information saturation. The concept of “information” appeared almost three thousand years ago. It was used by Marcus Cicero when delivering his speeches in Rome. Since then, the concept of information has had one meaning: a message about the state of affairs and ongoing events. The meaning of information today has greatly expanded.

It is safe to say that the computer not only interests us, but is also necessary for us, like air, in connection with our information mania. There is nothing bad about this “disease”.

Let's see how libraries work (electronic, computerized, and metropolitan ones do not count). A student who needs urgent information for an essay can come to the library and “kiss the door”, as there is a notice on it for “Sanitary Day,” “Weekend,” or “Holidays.” Anything can happen inside the library, and it closes.

In such cases, the computer is the student’s “savior” from “failure.” After all, students and high school students are very busy. They may live far from the library, but the computer is always at hand at home. For them, it is a kind of “magic wand”. He also became a “lifesaver” for the entire publishing “tsunami” that covered our country.

In the endless rush for fresh news and sensations, a fast, convenient, profitable way to disseminate information was needed. And in the age of computerization, only the lazy did not try to get into publishing.

And now there is a more complex production - the technology of electronic production of printed forms.

Instead of the scrupulous, voluminous and previously rather capricious process of rolling out films and their “wet” processing using a photo output device, you can get strips of newspapers or magazines directly from your computer. In addition to independence from the publisher, quality and time “win” and money is saved.

Digital printing systems appeared. And this is not technical “exotic”. You “dump” the publication onto a digital printing system (a huge color printer), and you are free from the number of people who would have to be involved in this process with toxic forms, caustic materials, etc.

Digital printing machines will continue to improve. In the future, they will completely relieve publishers of printed materials from a lot of hassle and mental anxiety.

What else has infomania connected us with the PC? There are a great many examples that can be given.

One of the most advanced achievements of what a computer can do is produce a unique combination of a geographic map and a thick layer of information, “distributed” and classified according to characteristics for each point in the image. This is a geographic information system (GIS). Both the possibilities of electron and the possibilities of GIS are inexhaustible. And what prospects GIS has opened for humanity - only science fiction writers can imagine this.

What can you do with GIS? For example, calculate the area of ​​possible flooding and soil erosion; to understand critical situations, such as what the owner of a container that arrived from Switzerland and left at the cargo parking lot in Sheremetyevo forgot about - to pay for storing the cargo beyond the established time. Receive information while at point “N”, which bank you can urgently take out a loan from, and how to get to this bank.

In the West, GIS already existed in the 1960s. Russia has to catch up with foreign countries in this computer area. Our difficulties arise due to lack of money and information. GIS is also an expensive technology, as is Internet access. Unfortunately, our oligarchs and other money magnates are “illiterate”: they do not imagine the capabilities of geographic information systems and do without them. But that's it for now. The GIS offensive continues. In scientific terminology, it is based on a hardware and software complex designed for automated storage, processing and presentation of spatially referenced information. This can be all kinds of data containing attribute information and location in a specific landmark. Simply put, GIS is a tool for creating computer-generated geographic maps.

Claims to the hardware are high. The machine must remember information at lightning speed, so GIS are built mainly on workstations under UNIX with a monitor of 17 inches or more - a very expensive pleasure.

There are a myriad of software products that implement GIS technology, perhaps similar to the number of text editors in the world. Russian Geo-Graph/Geo Draw, Sigraph, GIS Earth, GIS Park and others consist of an alloy of various types of software with instant functions of text and graphic editors, multimedia systems and DBMS. Here are texts, pictures, space photographs, metric information. Through digitization, all this is entered into a computer. On the monitor screen you can see and read everything you need about a section of a gas pipeline, a highway, a residential area or the location of a specific house.

The reference and information function of GIS is quite common, but its purpose does not end there. The main function of many GIS applications is analytical. That is, based on comprehensive, multidimensional, diverse data, GIS can predict the “behavior” of any territory in the future. For example, this creates convenience for the traffic police service - it allows you to quickly analyze the situation on highways, characterize traffic flows, analyze the quality of the road surface, the load on its individual sections, and the volume of repair work in real time.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia ordered Intervodizyskanie JSC to conduct an assessment of the risk of emergency situations in the Moscow region that would have a harmful effect on the drinking water supply. The GIS software product – ILWIS and mathematical calculations were used. The resulting electronic maps showed the reliable state of surface and underground water sources in the event of emergencies related to chemical, radiation and bacteriological pollution.

GIS has the ability to investigate turbidity problems in major rivers.

The potential of GIS is immeasurable - it is an endless “corridor”. GIS can link together the management of different services under different planning schemes and complex queries like: “If this, then what?...”

Land governments at various levels already use solid databases on their territory. For example, computer maps of the Ambozal nature reserve in Kenya determined the number of herbivores in the dry season. Analyzed sensing data from space, together with data obtained on herbivores, provided a picture of the prospects for grass consumption by wild fauna and the planning of areas for grazing by livestock.

Long-term work at a computer negatively affects many functions of our body: higher nervous activity, endocrine, immune and reproductive systems, vision and the human musculoskeletal system... What can this mean for the common person? Anything! From impaired vision to varicose veins on the legs. Honestly, you can “earn” all this without a computer, simply by leading an unbalanced lifestyle. The computer is just another link in the same chain: insufficient rest, sedentary lifestyle, inorganic nutrition, etc.

All of the above ailments will certainly affect your mental state. However, now we will talk about the influence of the computer, which is directly related to our psyche. And if vision and hearing can be damaged by the keyboard, mouse or monitor, then the psyche is primarily affected by more, so to speak, virtual things - games and the Internet. This is something that “addicts”, something from which it is impossible to tear yourself away, something without which many can no longer imagine their lives - this is a manic addiction to the Internet or to games. If you like, internet mania, gambling addiction.

First of all, it is necessary to immediately say that we are talking about sitting at a computer for many hours. Secondly, we mean people who spend their time in chats, forums, and games, and do not work on the Internet (gathering information, etc.). By the way, they make up about 90% of all “long-term users” on the network. This leads to the third point: a portrait of this audience. Actually, this is the fundamental reason for such a pastime, with the ensuing consequences.

People who live their lives on the Internet often need social support, they have great difficulties in communication, they experience dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, complexes, shyness, etc. The Internet “solves” all these problems! The Internet seems to be telling them: “Go to the chat, introduce yourself as anyone, meet people on the Internet, satisfy any of your desires and don’t be afraid of anything!” And people are in a hurry to leave for an environment that is safe for them, a life that does not oblige them to anything. Thus, they, firstly, aggravate those character traits that they would like to get rid of, and also acquire new ones: escaping reality by changing their mental state, virtually changing their gender, age... Of course, gradually this way of life , a way of thinking, permeates all levels of their lives. A person begins to act and think differently. He solves everyday issues, family, personal, professional, partnership, etc. differently.

Here are the psychological symptoms a person may begin to experience if he or she belongs to the risk group of Internet addicts:

• good health or euphoria at the computer;
• inability to stop;
• increasing the amount of time spent at the computer;
• neglect of family and friends;
• feelings of emptiness, depression, irritation when not at the computer;
• lying to employers or family members about your activities;
• problems with work or study.

Danger signals are also:

• obsessive urge to constantly check email;
• anticipation of the next online session;
• increasing time spent online;
• increasing the amount of money spent online.

Actually, you will find all these symptoms in people with any other addiction, be it alcohol, drugs or work. Over time, if no measures are taken, the condition of addicts worsens, turning into mania. While experiencing euphoria at the computer, they simultaneously cultivate in themselves imbalance, absent-mindedness, sloppiness, self-isolation, loss of all usual values, loss of internal guidelines, and disregard for loved ones. By the way, a huge misconception of many people who live with alcoholic or Internet-addicted relatives is that they perceive the above qualities personally, trying to call the “addicted” person to ethical standards. But, I repeat, this is a fallacy. These people are sick, and their illness leads to profound personality changes, the emergence of new, rather unpleasant, character traits.

While adults make their choices more or less consciously, children often become hostages of their parents’ lifestyle. Unfortunately, in addition to the computer addiction that awaits them, there are a number of other side effects from prolonged communication with a computer. Children quickly adapt to the world around them, and to the world of computers too. Many changes may not be noticed immediately, “with the naked eye” (only an experienced teacher or psychologist can determine them). For example, this may affect them emotionally; there may be increased aggressiveness and outbursts of violence. Another observation is that children stop fantasizing, become unable to create their own visual images, and have difficulty summarizing and analyzing information. The computer can cause long-term disorders in the mental and intellectual development of children. The so-called computer generation has poorer performance in some types of memory, emotional immaturity and irresponsibility.

Prolonged work at the computer, as doctors and psychologists have found, negatively affects the functioning of the systems and organs of our body: the mental sphere, endocrine, immune and reproductive systems, vision and the human musculoskeletal system. And this is just empty words! What does all this mean for the average person? Anything: from impaired vision to problems with varicose veins in the legs. Honestly, each of us can acquire all this without a computer, simply by leading an unbalanced lifestyle. The computer, in such a situation, is just another link in the same pathological chain: insufficient rest, sedentary lifestyle, inadequate nutrition, stress, etc.

The impact of all the above factors will certainly affect your mental state. This article will discuss the influence of the computer, which is directly related to the human psyche. And if vision or hearing can deteriorate with the participation of a keyboard, mouse or monitor, then the psyche is primarily affected by more, so to speak, virtual things - computer games and the Internet. This is something that “addicts”, something that is impossible to break away from, something without which many people can no longer imagine their lives - this is a manic addiction to the Internet or computer games. If you want, you can call it internet addiction or gambling addiction. In such cases, we are already talking about a mental disorder, when professional psychological help and consultation with a psychologist may be needed.

To begin with, we must immediately say that we are talking about sitting at a computer for many hours. Secondly, we mean people who spend their time in chats, ICQ, forums, and games, and do not engage in professional work on the Internet. By the way, they make up about 90% of all “long-term users” on the network. People who live their lives on the Internet often need social support, they have certain difficulties in communication, they experience dissatisfaction in life, they have low self-esteem, they are complex, they feel timid, etc. The Internet “solves” all these problems! The Internet seems to offer them: “Go to the chat, introduce yourself as anyone, satisfy any of your desires and don’t be afraid of anything!” And people are in a hurry to go to an environment that is safe for them, a non-binding virtual life. Thus, they, firstly, aggravate those of their character traits that they might like to get rid of, and also acquire new ones, among which the most important is withdrawal from reality by changing their mental state, virtually changing their gender, age ... Of course, gradually, this way of life, way of thinking, permeates all levels of their lives. Such a person begins to act and think differently. He solves everyday issues, family, personal, professional, partnership, etc. differently.

A person may begin to experience the following psychological symptoms and conditions if they are at risk for Internet addiction:

• - excellent health or euphoria at the computer;
• - inability to stop;
• - increasing the amount of time spent at the computer;
• - neglect of family and friends;
• - feelings of emptiness, depression, irritation when not at the computer;
• - lying to employers or family members about your activities;
• - problems with work or study.

The danger signals are:

• - obsessive desire to constantly check email;
• - anticipation of the next online session;
• - increasing the time spent online;
• - increasing the amount of money spent online.

Obviously, you will find all these symptoms in people with any other addiction, be it alcohol, drugs or work. Over time, if no measures are taken, the dependent person’s condition worsens, turning into mania. However, behind this mania, depression is often hidden. Experiencing euphoria at the computer, he simultaneously cultivates imbalance, absent-mindedness, sloppiness, self-isolation, loss of all usual values ​​and internal guidelines, and an indifferent attitude towards loved ones. By the way, the big misconception of many people who live with alcoholic or Internet-addicted relatives is that they perceive the above-mentioned qualities personally, trying to call the “addicted” person to moral standards. But, once again, this is a fallacy. These people are mentally ill, and their illness leads to profound personality changes, the emergence of new, rather unpleasant, character traits. amstergirls.com

While adults make their choices more or less consciously, children often become hostages of their parents’ lifestyle. Unfortunately, in addition to the computer addiction that awaits them, there are a number of other side effects from prolonged contact with the computer. Children quickly adapt to the world around them, and to the world of computers too. Many changes may not be noticed immediately, “with the naked eye” (only an experienced teacher or psychologist can determine them). For example, this may affect them emotionally: increased aggressiveness and outbursts of destructive and self-destructive behavior may be observed. Another observation is that children stop fantasizing, become unable to create their own visual images, and have difficulty summarizing and analyzing information. The computer can cause long-term disorders in the mental and intellectual development of children. The so-called computer generation has poorer memory performance, emotional immaturity, and irresponsibility.

A computer can become a friend or a sworn enemy, it can help in trouble, or it can add many problems; can help you find like-minded people, or can lead to loneliness and social isolation.