English 1 Essay

1. 1. Nowadays many people have access to computers on a wide basis and a large
number of children play computer games for long hours on a regular basis.
What do you think are the causes or effects of this condition? Plan your
response, and then write a cause or effect essay.
The Effects of Accessing Computers for Long Hours
Nowadays, the computer usage by people of all age groups has been increasing.
While this technology serves a great function of research, learning and entertainment, it
can also bring about many unnoticed effects in different areas. According to a 2011
Common Sense Media analysis, even young children use computers frequently, with 12
percent of children aged between two to four and 22 percent of 5- to 8-year-olds using
them daily. These data continue to increase despite several attempts have been made
to limit the computer usage. Therefore, everyone should be aware of the effects of
accessing computers for long hours towards the physical health, mental health and
social development of a person.
The effects of computer use towards the physical health include eye and vision
problems, back problems and stress injuries. For example, Nazario (2012) stated that
staring at a computer monitor for hours can put a real strain on our eyes, thus leads to
eye problems known as computer vision syndrome. When working in front of the
monitor, the eyes have to focus constantly, move back and forth and adjust in order to
generate a fine image for better brain interpretation. These actions require much effort
from the eye muscles, causing symptoms such as blurred vision, eye irritation and dry
eyes. Besides, Copley (n.d.) further described that a bad sitting posture while using the
computer may induce back and neck aches while repetitive movement when typing and

2. using a mouse can cause repetitive strain injury in the wrist. All of these health
conditions can be clearly seen as the aftermath of long term computer use.
Furthermore, long hours of computer use can cause harm to the mental health of a
person. For instance, teenagers who gain access to the computer excessively can
develop computer addiction. According to Grabianowski (2007), one who is a computer
addict can be depressed or afflicted when someone restricts or disallows the person
from spending time online. In this situation, further restrictions or setting a shorter time
frame may cure the addiction. In some extreme cases, if a parent does not notice any
improvement in the child’s behavior, guidance from a pediatrician is required.
Additionally, computer gamers may withdraw themselves from the real world while
diving into an artificial world. These addicts place more emotions on the occurrences
within the game rather than the situations in their real lives. Some might even become
more aggressive by the influence of games with violent contents. Anyway, it is
undeniable that the computer can affect a person’s mental health.
Last but not least, the social development of a person can be affected by the
computer as well. As an illustration, the bonding between family members and friends
will loosen as a computer user stops showing up in social gatherings such as reunion
parties with friends as well as avoiding family members by locking up themselves in
their rooms to get more computer time. Although some might continue connecting with
friends, they may become fractious without the computer. On the other hand,
Subrahmanyan, Kraut, Greenfield and Gross (2000) expressed that the computer’s
positive effect can be seen when a person uses the computer to extend social

3. relationships by connecting with others through social applications online. This situation
helps in increasing the interaction with others to gain social competence and developing
interpersonal skills. For example, an introvert may not have face-to-face conversations
or interact much with other people, but through the communication applications online,
he or she is able to reach out to others easily. Regardless of whether it is a positive or
negative effect, it is certain that the computer affects one’s social development.
In a nutshell, it is advisable to take note of the effects of accessing computers for long
hours towards the physical health, mental health and social development of a person.
As the saying goes, “every rose has its thorns”. Even though the computer may bring
forth great convenience and does a lot of wonders to our lives, we should always be
aware of the consequences of long time usage and be a smart user by taking breaks
from the computer screen frequently. Let us not be ignorant towards the harms that are
associated with the computer but maximize its functions effectively by taking into
consideration of our personal well-being.

4. References
Subrahmanyam, K., Kraut, R. E., Greenfield, P.M. & Gross, E.F. (2000). Effects on
Social Development and Relationships. Children and Computer Technology, 10.
Retrieved 26 April 2015, from
http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=45&articleid=
205&sectionid=1342
Nazario, B. (2012, July 30). Computer Vision Syndrome. Retrieved 25 April 2015,
from WebMD website:
http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/computer-vision-syndrome
Grabianowski, Ed. (2007, October 16). How Computer Addiction Works.
Retrieved 25 April 2015, from HowStuffWorks website:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/computer-addiction.htm
Konerman, T. (n.d.). Negative Effects of Computers on Children. Retrieved 25 April
2015, from LIVESTRONG.COM. website:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/85306-negative-effects-computers-children/
Copley, S. (n.d.). Health Effects of ICT. Retrieved 25 April 2015, from IGCSE ICT
website: http://www.igcseict.info/theory/6/health/

5. Pre-writing
Physical
health
• Strain the eyes
• Back and neck aches
• Strain the wrist
Mental
health
• Depression
• Addiction
• Live in the artificial
world
Social
development
• Avoid others to get
more computer time
• Extend social
relationships
• Increase online
interactions
Effects of the
condition of
people
accessing the
computer on a
regular basis