My New Book

In my new book I’ve chosen to addresses the three social sciences. My new novel is about a young boy in his pre-teens named Daniel. Daniel and his family had many problems all revolving around their family dynamic. Daniel is central to his family all of the family revolved around him. Daniel hadn’t gone to school since the age of 12 he is now 14. It is not known why he wouldn’t go to school just that he wouldn’t. His mother Elaine was a wonderful woman she did everything she could for Daniel, she tried as hard as she good to get him into school and provide a good life for him. Daniel however would not go to school and his mother could not force him because she didn’t have enough physical strength. You see Daniel was a very large and powerful boy. His mother although not a petite dainty woman was no match for him. So Daniel continued not to go to school and instead played his computer and video games. His computer became his life and Daniel spent sometimes 20 hours a day engrossed in his virtual world. The only time Daniel would leave his computer was to eat. He did not shower he did not brush his teeth. His computer became his family and his life and his real family became just a source of food and aggressive release.

For this book I thought it was extremely important to look into Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology. Daniel clearly has mental health problems and it's important to look at these sciences to be able to develop a believable character. Under the psychological perspective I chose to look into computer addiction. I wasn't sure if computer addiction was an actual disorder but it turned out that it was, although a very disputed one. I knew this was a actual disorder because in the article I read Computer Obsession, is it a Real Addiction? In this article it said, " Many psychologists don't believe that computer addiction is a real disorder because computer addicts are just not resisting the urge to play they don't feel they need to play to survive." I learned through my research from the article Computer Addiction, is it a Real Addiction? that many computer addicts neglect their responsibilities such as school which is exactly what Daniel did.
I also learned that people addicted to computers forget their chores and responsibilities. This was also true of Daniel he never did his chores and if asked to do so would scream and get violent. The biggest generator of computer addicts is video games which is what Daniel was involved in. Computer addicts also are said not to care about anything but their computers. Daniel didn’t care to socialize with his family, he refused to go out, to go to school., his only socialization was if his friends came to him.
I think I am developing Daniel’s character successfully I have given him most if not all of the symptoms of a computer addict. I hope that readers will be able to relate to Daniel’s disorder because it is becoming one of the fastest growing disorders in the world.
I felt it was also important to my book to research online interactions vs. human interactions because Daniel spends all of his time on the computer. In my research I came across an article written by CNN called For Online Addicts, Relationships Float Between Real, Virtual Worlds. In this article it says that “Relationships formed in the games are the key part of the draw.” This made me think that maybe that should be the reason Daniel plays, he feels out casted by the real world so he forms friendships in his video games and finds a sense of belonging. In this article it also says that tons of teens and even adults are finding socializing in the real world increasingly difficult due to online games. I think this is due to the fact that it is easier to make friends and say what you feel and mean when you don’t have to look the person in the eye. This article also says that computer addiction might be caused by depression, anxiety or low self esteem. I agree with that, it is much easier to hide your low self esteem when you don’t have to actually be around the person. Depression can be hidden by online games because you get a sense of belonging by playing video games. As for anxiety I think that when you are playing a game you are able to control situations. One symptom of computer addiction is that people who are addicted don’t admit that they are. This is also true of Daniel; in my book he was never able to admit that he had a problem. I also came across a site that a computer gamer talked about human vs. online interaction he said, “You get to share your experiences and accomplishments with friends and fellow players, you get to be part of a team, you get socialize. Of course, online games are a very convenient way to do this compared to organizing a paintball match, particularly if your friends live in different locales.” this is from the article Meet Dave Spohr Uber Gamer
I also wanted to find out the effects of the internet has on our culture. I found out that many people think that the internet is ruining friendships and face to face interactions.The internet has revolutionized our culture almost everything is electronic. The internet has changed the way we read (most people now read books online.), the way we watch TV we now can either record our favourite shows or watch them at a later date on an online site. The internet has also changed the way we listen to music, we used to go out and buy CD’s or in the older days cassettes or records. Now we can download are music illegally from a site or we can buy our music on iTunes. The internet has also changed the way we talk to each other. Before the invention of the internet people would talk on their home phones or meet up and spend time with each other, now we either text, instant message, or use our cell phones. Face to face interactions don’t often happen anymore. The internet has made it acceptable in my opinion to distance people from each other. This may be the root of computer addiction and insecurity.
With all that I have researched for this book it’s safe to say I’ve learned a lot. I’ve come to the conclusion that although the internet makes our lives easier it also has negative effects on the way we live. I’ve learned that there are people with computer addictions and why they become addicted to the internet. I’ve learned about the benefits and drawbacks of online interactions. I’ve also learned the effects the internet has on our culture. With all that I’ve learned I now realize that my character Daniel was not completely at fault when it came to his problems. Although Daniel has many issues I now realize what he was going through. I now know why he didn’t go to school, why he refused to do chores and why he was so angry and depressed. With all my research I will be able to better develop Daniel’s character and in the end maybe get him help.