Can Happiness be Found Online?

"The question means little to millions living in poverty with neither electricity nor electronics. But there are also millions now weaving the Web 2.0 ever more tightly into their social fabric -- witness the booming popularity of Facebook and other social networking sites -- so the question seems worth asking.
Happiness can be found everywhere, including social networks and on blogs.

Happiness can be found everywhere, including social networks and on blogs.

Enter the "Virtual Happiness Project" in the Netherlands, which explores the relationship between the Web 2.0 (in particular) and happiness.

Though the final report hasn't been released yet, the project's global survey results and experiments suggest something that a lot of Facebook users already sense: social interaction is a driver for happiness, and the Web 2.0 is a valid way to experience it.

Jim Stolze, a writer and researcher involved with the project, says the Internet has become our "new global campfire," the place where we gather to argue, laugh, talk, learn, love, turn strangers into friends, and to get a sense of belonging.

"We are a social species and we need to interact in order to feel alive," he says.

As happiness research over the past half century or so has shown, belonging is a strong a predictor of happiness.

Psychology courses introduce students to Maslow's "hierarchy of needs," a pyramid diagram created by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow.

The project suggests the pyramid's middle levels of "love/belonging" and "esteem" can be met by services like blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other elements of Web 2.0, like comments sections below news articles or YouTube posts.

But as with anything there are perils tempering the benefits of heavy Internet usage. Stolze warns the Internet can cause stress in users who don't take control of the experience.

"The attitude that they treat the medium with," he says, "defines the happiness they experience."

People who feel they "rule the Web" are happier than those who feel like "they are ruled by the Web," he says.

"The first group sees the long tail as a brilliant place to cherry pick for the best results, and the second group immediately experiences stress because they can't look at all the results."

Staying in control

At this month's TED conference in California, Stolze gave some light-hearted but probably sound advice for making sure you're in control of your Internet life.

Among the tidbits dispensed: Don't take your Blackberry into the bedroom. Accept that there is more information than you can possibly look at. Human filters of information (like your Twitter network) often beat machine filters (like Google). Know when to go online and when to go offline -- sometimes a face-to-face talk is needed.

Ignoring the latter is a possible sign of Internet addiction, a growing problem in many parts of the world.

At clinics like the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital, patients (especially online gamers) are challenged to look at sacrificing some of the "high" they get out engaging in their addictive behavior (a boost in self-esteem, a sense of belonging, an ability to forget about real-world problems) because of the consequences of the negative aspects.

These can include loss of personal relationships, conflict with family members, and the threat of job loss. Of course it's important to distinguish between addicts and healthy users, which make up the vast majority.

"As far as people using networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter to derive happiness, that is not uncommon," says Shannon Chrismore, a clinical coordinator at the clinic.

"Many people can use these sites for their intended purpose -- to remain in contact with people and/or to develop personal relationships."

But perhaps even healthy Internet users get "addicted" -- and are aware of it -- to at least some degree.

As part of a playful experiment, Stolze, a blogger and Twitter user with hundreds of followers, decided to spend the month of December completely offline, during which time he worked on his upcoming book "How to Survive Your Inbox" (written in Dutch).

Feelings he experienced went from "phantom limb" strangeness in the first week to anger and regret in the second to peace of mind in the third. Without the online distractions, he says, "I had tons of energy and have never been more productive than in that single week."

In the fourth week there was anticipation but also a sense of growing anxiety about losing that sense of quietness and ability to focus.

Life without the Internet, he decided after the experiment, was not for him. Life without email, though, was a blessing.

A lot of us, not just Stolze, are wondering what it would be like to unplug for a while. That in itself is interesting. Twenty years ago the idea that millions would be so absorbed in the Internet might have seemed unlikely and bizarre.

A T-shirt of Stolze's reading "The Internet was closed so I thought I'd come outside today" wouldn't have struck a chord the way it does now. And virtual happiness -- and unhappiness -- wouldn't have been considered real."

-Mollman, S (2009, Feb 19). Can happiness be found online?. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from cnn.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/19/db.happy.online/index.html

Everyone has their different ways of being happy. Nowadays though, since technology effects many peoples lives, people do tend to find happiness on the internet from lots of ways. But those people that do not have internet can also be happy. The internet is not the only source of happiness.

Knowledge.

"Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:

"After the passing away of the Prophet (peace be upon him), I said to an Ansari friend of mine: ‘The Prophet is not now with us. But a large number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get knowledge of the Islamic practices.’ He said: ' Who is going to approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these eminent Sahabah?' I was not discouraged. I kept up my quest for knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard something from the Prophet. I managed to gather substantial information from the Ansar. If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah, I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and sat waiting. Sometimes my face and body would get covered with dust, but I kept sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them said: 'Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet; you could have sent for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?' I said to them: 'I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my teachers.' Some people for whom I had waited said: 'Since when have you been waiting for us?' I informed them that I had been sitting there for a pretty long time. They said: 'What a pity! You could have awakened us from our sleep.' I said: 'I did not like to disturb you for my own sake.' I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend realized this at that time and remarked: 'This boy has surely proved himself more sensible than us.'""

Thirst for Learning. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from islamcan.com Web site: http://www.islamcan.com/cgi-bin/increaseiman/htmlfiles/static/111765757834438.shtml

As a Muslim, one should not only strive to learn just the regular math, science, etc, but they should make sure they learn the same for Islam. If people spend so much time studying for math, they can also spend that much time learning about the past Prophets or topic related to Islam. This can help the Muslims for the hereafter.

Good to Give.

"A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.

As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work.

The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."

"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."

The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.

While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"

The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."

Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallAllahu alaiyhi wassallam) said that encouraging good, prohibiting evil, lifting the burden of the weak person and removing an offensive thing from a path are all acceptable prayers to Allah.
[ibn Majah]"



small>Better to Give. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from islamcan.com Web site: http://www.islamcan.com/cgi-bin/increaseiman/htmlfiles/static/113250779487671.shtml

This story reminds us that we should be kind towards that are not as fortunate as us. We should do what we can to help them because we also get blessed for what we give.

Addicted to the Internet.

Goo-goo-google.

The Clever King

"There was a country long time ago where the people would change a king every year. The person who would become the king had to agree to a contract that he will be sent to an island after his one year of being a king. So, one king finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island and live there. The people dressed him up in expensive clothes and put him on an elephant and took him around the cities to say goodbye to all the people. This was the moment of sadness for all the kings who ruled for one year. After saying goodbye, the people took the king with a boat to the remote island and left him there. On their way back, they discovered a ship that had sunk just recently. They saw a young man who survived by holding on to a floating piece of wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They requested him to be a king for a year. First he refused but later he agreed to be a king. People told him about all the rules and regulations and that how he will be sent to an island after one year.

After three days of being a king, he asked the ministers if they could show him the island where all the other kings were sent. They agreed and took him to the island. The island was covered with thick jungles and sound of vicious animals were heard coming out of them. The king went little bit inside to see how it was and discovered the dead bodies of all the past kings. He understood that as soon as they were left in the island, the animals came and killed them. The king then went back to the country and requested the people to provide him with 100 strong workers. He was provided with 100 workers and he took them to the island and told them to remove all the deadly animals and to cut down all the trees. He would visit the island every month to see how the work is progressing. In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. In the second month, the whole island was cleaned out. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island. He also took with himself useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the months, the island turned into a beautiful place. The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little from his earnings. He sent all the earnings to the island for storage. Nine months have passed like this. The king called the people and told them that "I know that I have to go the island after one year, but I would like to go there right now." But the people didn't agree to this and said that he have to wait for another 3 months to complete the year.

3 months passed and now it was a full year. The people dressed up the young king and put him on an elephant to take him around the country to say goodbye to others. However, this king is unusually happy to leave the kingdom. People asked him, "All the other kings would cry at this moment and why are you laughing?" He replied, "Don't you know what the wise people say? They say that when you came to this world as a baby, you were crying and everyone was smiling. Live such a life that when you are dieing, you will be smiling and everyone around you will be crying. I have lived that life. While all the other kings were lost into the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I turned the deadly island into a beautiful abode for me where I can stay peacefullly." "

-A clever King. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from islamcan.com Web site: http://www.islamcan.com/cgi-bin/increaseiman/htmlfiles/static/106002294595662.shtml

This is an important lesson because this life should be used to prepare for the hereafter. We shouldn't be to obsessed with all the jewels an beauties of this world because that's what shaitan wants us to do so we can forget about Allah's orders. We should live a simple life without.

Technical Support.

My dad gets fed up with people like them whenever he calls for help. What's the point of calling them if they don't even know what they are talking about.