Computer addiction and computer literacy: two sides of the same process

Abstract

The article provides evidence that the educational system at its current state is not able to adequately perceive the intervention of informational computer technologies and utilize them, as well as clearly differentiate types and risks of the so-called computer addiction. So far, education hasn’t developed a clear view of the role these technologies play in educational process, it only notifies their ambiguity for teaching different subjects. It means that humanity is still in search of the new approaches, being under the pressure of the old paradigms in education. It is especially obvious in teachers’ training practice, equipment of educational institutions, and other factors. The authors believe that contemporary risks in education, connected with intervention of information technologies, can be managed through computer literacy of participants in the educational process, and it might become a sort of a counterbalance for computer addiction.

Keywords

• computer addiction
• computer literacy
• education paradigm shift
• the intervention of ICT
• the perception of Internet technologies in education
• psychological motives of addiction