| Although the Internet is a useful tool for connecting with information, people, and images, the amount of time spent on the Internet may be affecting time spent offline by serving as a distraction. Spending a lot of time on the Internet may reveal or exacerbate a disconnect with the self. This disconnection could even take the form of an Internet addiction, and could contribute to a neglect of other connections such as to the body, community, and nature.;Chapter 1 discusses how using the Internet excessively as a distraction or as a relatively exclusive sense of connection may create a dependency or an association of connection through the Internet, and considers the need for additional research on this topic. Chapter 2 covers literature on the development of the self, the development of the Western mind, and commentary on modern technology and its power in our lives. Chapter 3 states the specific research question: How might using the Internet as a sense of connection or as a distraction from the lack of connection create or exacerbate feelings of disconnection from an integrated self, from community, and from nature? Chapter 3 also defines key terms used in the dissertation. Chapter 4 discusses the creative methodological approach of writing a screenplay used in this research. In chapter 5, the screenplay, Tech No Connection, is illuminated from a depth psychological perspective. Chapter 6 summarizes the dissertation findings and discusses further areas of study. The screenplay and a self-reflection section are included in the appendices. |
