Abstract on Marketing Intelligence System for a Media Company

Marketing Intelligence Database Management at Manipal Media Network Limited A project by * Abhishek Gupta * Aishwarya Shetty * Nikhil Modi * Nikita Patel * Pritish Prabhu * Rahul Dara * Reshma R * Rishi Gupta * Sudip Ray * Vaibhav Goswami OVERVIEW OF MMNL Manipal Media Network Limited is a subsidiary of Manipal Group which specializes in printing and publications. Udayavani, the flagship publication of the MMNL is a leading daily Kannada newspaper. Its subscriptions reach most cities of Karnataka including Mangalore, Bangalore and Gulbarga.Its first issue was in 1971 and it continues to grow daily reaching more than 300,000 houses. BUSINESS STRATEGY MMNL has always tried to maintain the values of its shareholders and customers against its competition. MMNL strives to be a Multi-media Corporation, making its presence felt across several platforms including print, e-papers among others delivering local news and entertainment solutions. IT STRATEGY The strategy of the IT team of MMNL is consistently aligned with the overall strategy of the company.This is done by the higher management who believe that IT plays an integral part in proving a competitive advantage. The IT team has provided MMNL with various solutions ahead of its time such as iTunes’ first Kannada Application, the first Kannada News Android App and has entered into partnerships with media leaders such as Yahoo and Newshunt. The IT team has also ensured that MMNL is a leader in delivering news on online platforms such as Android, IOS and Web. Along with this, it has developed internal MIS systems and also worked hand in hand with companies like 4CPlus for successful ERP implementations in numerous areas.By implementing Market Intelligence Database System which will help us in storing the data in a structured format and providing management with quality information which will give them a better insight for efficient decision making. Strategic Alignment Model * Alignment of business and IT strate gy: * The overall business strategy of MMNL is to be a multi media corporation with presence across platforms delivering hyper local news and entertainment solutions. The IT team works in alignment with this overall strategy and strives to provide cutting edge technology solutions that are ahead in time, however keeping the cost aspect in perspective. Some of the results of their effort is – ITunes first Kannada App, First Kannada News App on Android, Partnership with global leaders like Yahoo and Newshunt. Since many readers today have access to internet and spend a lot of time on it, the industry feels that there might be a shift from traditional newspaper to online platforms. * However, this should take a decade's time or so. MMNL being a leader in coastal in Karnataka sees this as an opportunity to be leader on online platforms as well like Android, IOS, Web. Alignment of business and IT capabilities: * In order to align the business capabilities with IT capabilities, we have provided a suggestion to use IT capabilities in order to improve business processes and using IT tools to promote customer loyalty. The marketing intelligence system proposed by us is a step towards accomplishing this objective. * Alignment of business strategy and business capabilities: * In order to align the business strategy with business capabilities, social architecture tools can be formulated.The existing resources and capabilities should be fully utilized in order to implement the business strategy. * Training and motivating the workforce and incentivizing the workforce on successful completion of strategic objectives and goals are the means towards achieving it. * Alignment of IT strategy and IT capabilities: * When it comes to internal strategy, the IT team has developed internal MIS system and also engaged with an external agency for ERP implementation which has been done successfully in many areas.This proves that the current IT capabilities are quite robust and can be further utilized to drive business growth. * Alignment of IT strategy and capabilities can be achieved by having a cross-functional team of managers with expertise is IT knowledge and business knowledge so as to leverage the full potential of its IT capabilities. COMPETITION The major competitors to Udayavani are Prajavani, Vijay Karnataka, Kannada Prabha, Sanjevani among others. This leads to major emphasis being placed on gathering and use of market intelligence as the competition is cut throat.MARKET INTELLIGENCE Marketing Intelligence includes everyday information relevant to a company, collate and analyze the obtained information for subsequent decision making in determining market opportunities, risks and strategies. The system is to be designed for usage by the management of the company and can be viewed by all the employees of the company. This specifically enables the management to see current key performance factors in real time and analyze trends, rather than wait for analysts to deliver periodic reports.Market Intelligence is a subset of Business Intelligence which is a set of methodologies, processes, architectures, and technologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information. INFORMATION GATHERING Market related data reaches the company through various sources. The lower level of the organisation consists of executives and trainees who visit distributors on a daily basis. The sources of information could be by a company employees or special agents and the mode of information is mainly through phone calls, SMS, email or through other market sources.The bulk of the information is however gathered by these lower level executives from the distributors and hawkers usually during the early hours of the morning. The information consists of competitors strategies with respect to: * Advertising space, * Insertions of pamphlets, * Change of content in existing publications (page design) * Emergence of new newspapers (VRL publication) * Distributors margins * Expansion by competitors in new territories * Subscription rateManipal Institute of Communication conducts yearly market research on behalf of MMNL which gives them insight into the new trends and expectations from customers and distributors. STORAGE OF DATA MMNL presently maintains individual excel sheets for each of its competitors. The assistant managers are tasked with collating and compiling the data given to them by the executives. This data is maintained according to: * Date and division * Edition * Geographic area and edition * Source of information and context * Findings * Employee entering data and * Employee validating the dataThe data is validated through multiple sources in different regions and also through cross verification. Example: Data collected in Mangalore will be cross checked with similar repeating data from Udupi and Manipal. Due to such disparate sources, data comes in various formats, due to which collation of data is very difficul t. Also, it is difficult to comprehend this data and bringing it into a common platform may distort it. Since information is not properly structured, it may get distorted while sharing between various departments and its interpretation could be different by different people.PROBLEM The problem faced by MMNL is on three levels. 1. Lack of structure- Data reaching the company is unstructured and in fragmented form. It makes the data difficult to comprehend. Since data is of strategic importance, it could have high impact on company’s future strategy or decision. 2. Transfer of data – The data leakage during the transfer of data is the biggest problem faced by MMNL. The executives at the lower level who pass the data to the managerial level use their discretion and pass the data what they feel is important instead of all the data gathered.This leads to loss of data which may turn out to be important. 3. Accessibility – MMNL has data of the past 8-9 years which is s tored using excel sheets. A separate excel sheet is maintained for every company. Whenever the company has to check some data it has to go through all the files which is a cumbersome process. 4. Acceptance – When a new system is implemented people may not be ready to accept it. They may be anxious about what the change may lead to. RECOMMENDATIONS Few options that are present to address the issue of data leakage faced by MMNL are: 1.Toll-free number – The company can acquire a toll free number on which the executives will call and/or SMS the data which will be recorded through an automated system. If this is implemented the executives will not have to take extra efforts to pass on the data to their managers which in turn it will minimize any data leakage. The costs associated are: * BSNL – Cost is Rs. 1. 60/minute. * Initial Cost: Rs. 13000 (Rs. 10000 refundable) * Fixed monthly cost: Rs. 1000 * Tata – Cost is Rs. 2. 39/minute * Initial Cost: Rs. 30000 (R s. 25000 refundable) Fixed monthly cost: Rs. 3000 * Reliance – Cost is Rs. 2. 20/minute * Initial Cost: Rs 13000 (Rs. 10000 refundable) * Fixed monthly cost: Depends on usage 2. Incentives – Keeping the existing system of personally reporting the data to managers in place, incentives can be provided periodically based on quantity and quality of data. This will ensure that executives are encouraged to pass on every piece of available information. If the toll-free system is implemented by MMNL then it can provide incentives to executives who report the data.The problem of unreliable data will not arise as the data will be validated from sources in different regions. 3. Training and development – MMNL can perform training and development programs which are imperative to mould the staff in accordance with the company’s strategy. A company’s sales force is very crucial for the intelligence gathering activity as they can provide excellent data about the current trends in the market. They are also a very credible source for acquiring confidential data about competitors, consumers, suppliers etc.For sales force outside Manipal and Udupi, a trainer can be made to tour different parts of the country. 4. Network Externally – In order to keep a tab on its competitors, measures should be taken to track how competitors are performing. For this, purchasing the competitor's products, checking their advertising campaigns, the press media coverage, reading their published reports, etc can be done. This process is called Competitive intelligence which is the broader discipline of researching, analyzing and formulating data and information from the entire competitive environment of any organization. . Collect Competitive Intelligence through customer feedback – Customer feedback is an important aspect for any company as it is the customer who purchases the product. Online platforms like chat rooms, blogs, discussion forums, custome r review boards etc can be used to generate customer feedback. This enables the company to understand its customer’s view about the product. For this, a structured system can be applied by the company to obtain the relevant data. Manipal Institute of Communications does yearly surveys to find out changing customer perceptions regarding MMNL. . For the issue of accessibility MMNL can implement a database. * The centralised database will be in the following format: * The basic cost for a database system is around Rs. 1. 5 lakhs but depending on the different features needed by MMNL the cost can vary. * The database form can be opened at any time by the employees. A static link will be provided. * Our centralized database system will be decided into 2 main categories: * Internal Data * External Data * Internal Data * The employees can enter the intelligence acquired on internal matters in this section. The data entered here will be like delivery problems, supply chain problems e tc. * There will be a form asking them what are the issues and the department it relates to. * External Data * This section will again be divided into 2 parts: * Competitor data * Advertising Data * Competitor Data * In this form the employee will have to enter intelligence pertaining to: * Name of the company * News Acquired * Source of News * Advertising Data * In this form the employee will have to enter intelligence pertaining to: * Name of the company * News Acquired Source of News * The database will also have a verification code. * Every employee will be given a unique code which he has to enter before submitting the intelligence data. * This will secure the database and will also eliminate the possibility of anyone entering data wrongly under the name of any other person. * The problem of acceptance can be addressed in the following manner: a) Involvement of employees (i) Executives: Involving them in regards to the various incentives on offer will help reduce the anxiety to change; this will also help in building loyalty. ii) Employees: The employees can be involved through inputs about the functions needed by them in the database system. b) Workshops – MMNL can conduct workshops in the initial months after the implementation of the database system and the toll free number. * Representation through GRIDS QUICK WIN SUSTAINABILITY RISK IMPLEMENTATION RISK DUMB IDEA NEW SYSTEM at MMNL SIZE OF OPPORTUNITY ABILITY TO EXECUTE (PG. NO. 34, CHAPTER 1,CORPORATE INFORMATION & STRATEGY MANAGEMENT) MMNL has a very good track record in implementation of new technological systems.Whenever the company has implemented a new technology system the implementation took place glitch free. The company has implemented Kannada news app on android and also it has tie-ups with Yahoo and Newshunt. The company is also in the process of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The implementation of this is going smoothly. This leads us to believe that abi lity to execute a new system will be high at MMNL and thus the new system will fall in sustainability risk. But, whenever a new IT system is implemented there is always an implementation risk ecause there might be social and technological problems. Social problems which can arise are that employees may be anxious about the new system. They may be anxious about the fact whether they will be able to use that system properly or not and if not then will they be fired from their jobs. Technological problems that may arise are compatibility problems with the legacy systems and maintenance problems. Thus, we say that the new system will be in the implementation risk of the strategic grid. PROBABLE IMPACT ON STRATEGY PROBABLE IMPACT ON BUSINESS OPERATIONSCurrent position Position after implementation (pg. no. 37,chapter 1,Corporate Information & Strategy Management) The marketing intelligence gathered from various sources is currently passed around in the office informally through Word of M outh and excel sheets. This leads to the data being fragmented, lost and getting distorted. As a result of this it is not accessible to everyone and does not provide the correct point of view. Due to this lack of accessibility, management is not able to take any timely strategic decisions.This also does not help the company much in its business operations. We can say that current system of MMNL is in the SUPPORT quadrant of the McFarlan’s Grid. This is because the system does not impact the business operations as well as its strategic decisions. After the Marketing Intelligence database system is implemented, the data will be stored in one centralized location. This will help in easy accessibility of the data. The company officials can then access this data at anytime and use it to take strategic decisions.Since the data is about competitors and the market which will help in taking important strategic decisions. The implementation of the system will not lead to any change in the business operations of the company. Thus, the system, once implemented should move from the current support position to the TURNAROUND quadrant of the McFarlan’s Grid. * BENEFITS FROM DATABASE Implementation of Market Intelligence Database System at MMNL will not lead to any tangible benefits as the decisions taken by management on the market intelligence acquired cannot be known at the moment.The implementation of the system at MMNL will only lead to intangible benefits. The benefits that arise will be: 1. The data will all be present in one place which will help the management to take better decisions. 2. The company employees will save a lot of time if the data is present in one place with options of search. 3. It will give company a competitive advantage as very few media networks have such a system present at the moment. 4. The storage of data will help the company in making a wide database which can be used for analytics in the future.

Jardin essays

Jardin essays El jardà ­n de senderos que se bifurcan En este breve ensayo analizaremos sobre la obra del escritor argentino Jorge Luis Borges, El jardà ­n de senderos que se bifurcan. En el primer prrafo de la obra se puede observar que la narracin est escrita en presente y en tercera persona en sigular. En este prrafo, el autor no slo introduce al personaje principal de la obra, Yu-Tsun, quien es un chino espà ­a aleman, sino tambin presenta el tema del cuento que es la demora de una ofensiva britnica contra las fuerzas alemanas en la là ­nea Serre-Montauban en 1916. Este hecho histrico de la Primera Guerra Mundial hace que el cuento sea ms real y le da legitimidad a la obra. Tambin hay un peques, Basil Hery Liddle Hart. Este historiador presenta una perspectiva opuesta al de nuestro protagonista de la obra, pero a pesar de esto, se puede observar en la narracin, una simpatà ­a hacia Yu-Tsun lo cual hace convencer al lector de la à ­ntima relacin entre la confensin de Yu-Tsun y el hecho histrico descrito de la primera Guerra Mundial. Despus de la introduccin del tema y del personaje principal, la presencia del narrador se desvanece, y las narraciones son escritas en primera persona singular de Yu Tsun. Llegamos a comprender la historia de la obra cuando se produce la declaracin final de Yu-Tsun. Se entiende que su objetivo era el de comunicar el nombre de la ciudad ingls donde los alemanes debà ­an atacar. Yu-Tsun se las ingenia, matando un famoso sabio sinlogo ingls Stephen Albert, y asi cumple con su misin de indicar la ciudad que los alemanes debà ­an atacar. Por todo esto, podemos decir que la obra tiene una ironà ­a circunstancial ya que conocemos el final cuando en el momento de la culminacin de ...

First jobs of millionaires and billionaires

First jobs of millionaires and billionaires When we think about our futures, who among us doesn’t dream of following in the footsteps of rich and successful people? You might be shocked to discover what some of these amazingly wealthy people did for their first jobs. Let’s take a closer look. A study conducted by the sales recruitment specialist company Aaron Wallis revealed that the most common first job amongst the billionaire crowd is a salesperson. Approximately 10% of these fabulously wealthy folks started out in the world of sales, which stands to reason- this position allows individuals to build their negotiating and deal-brokering skills, learn how to be persuasive in the face of overwhelming negative odds, and discover the value of persistence, which are common traits of successful people. Financial investor George Soros, entrepreneur Mark Cuban, and Dell founder Michael Dell can be counted amongst those who got their start as salespeople.Other common first jobs of the ultra wealthy include stock traders (Carlos Slim Helu, telecom magnate), engineers (Mikhail Fridman, business magnate), accountants (Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike), and software developers (Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft), but the list is surprisingly robust- you can practically name any job and it’s likely that at least one millionaire or billionaire got his or her start doing that.Have these rich folks typically stayed within the fields that they started in and made their fortunes there? Well, sometimes they do, like Mark Zuckerberg, whose first job was starting Facebook. However, more often than not their first jobs have little to do with how they made their money. Amancio Ortega, founder of fashion mega-brand Zara, started out as a shop hand for a shirtmaker.Since education and career path are often intertwined for most folks, let’s take a look at a few other interesting statistics from the Aaron Wallis study. Among 100 of the world’s top billionaires, approximately 30% inherited or wo rked for family businesses, 53% worked for other businesses, and 17% actually started their own businesses. Around 75% obtained a college degree, with the mostly commonly pursued academic path being engineering (22%). Business and accounting degrees are also popular among this economically elite group.So, what’s the takeaway from this look at the first jobs of millionaires and billionaires? The truth is, many of us dream of becoming wealthy and wildly successful, but may have assumed that it’s a path that’s not open to us. Think again! Clearly, the road to riches for many successful millionaires and billionaires didn’t start off paved in gold. This is good news for you if you feel as if you haven’t quite found your professional niche just yet. The road to success can start from any location!

Taxation Law Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taxation Law Assignment - Essay Example However, this section also puts a discretionary element into the ATO's or the Judge's determination because the expenditure has to be necessary to the actual capital gain, which brings into question the validity of the expenses that are preparatory in nature or for other purposes rather than the actual construction. The key point that this judgment made is that the determination of this and subsequent cases is in reference to all circumstances, which includes an examination of the taxpayer's purpose or intention in incurring the expenditure. If it is necessary to apportion a loss or outgoing, the appropriate apportionment will depend on the facts of each case. The method taken must be fair and reasonable as per the case of Ronipibon Tin NL v Tongkah Compound NL v FC of T [1949] (78 CLR 47). The expenditure to be deductible if it necessarily incurred for the particular income producing purpose in question, which can include limiting to an the income for just a particular year as per t he case of Fletcher v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1991] (173 CLR 1). In this case of the vacant land that was leased in the aforementioned ATO decision the owner did not purchase the land for leasing, rather private purposes so in the original sale there was no allowable deduction. Now the owner is using the land to bring in income, therefore the owner is allowed a deduction in the tax year that is expended up to the amount of the income earned but not exceeding this. In the case of the swimming pool that BLW have built on the vacant land that they own they are sure to be allowed certain expenditures on the land as allowable deductions. The first thing to identify is that the improvement and expenditure outlaid is not for private purposes, because if it were the costs would not be deductible. As the purpose of the expenditure is to build a swimming pool for the community, which will cost to enter then it is classed as a business venture and therefore valid deductions are possible from the income of $60,000 from Mulga Council. It needs to be noted that the whole profit is counted as no GST was paid because in this dealing of the monies going to BLW from the council there was a tax exemption. In relation to the $660, 000 to the builder of the pool one has to consider whether this is deductible or as this is the contractual duty that BLW owed to Mulga to get the $600,000 then it is not a deductible cost because it is the work that needs to be complet ed to get the $60,000. Therefore under Section 8-1 of the ITAA it is not a deductible costs; however for the other costs that are mentioned they may be deductible. Also in respect to deduction and depreciation under CGT and cost bases this property fulfills the requirement, which is that the land is improved to enhance the value of the

Justice Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Justice Discussion - Essay Example Therefore, the original position of justice is the initial status quo that ensures the necessary agreements are fair. Consequently, justice is equated with fairness and acceptability as determined by the situation. Rawls theorized two principles of justice founded on equality. Specifically, these principles are The implementation of justice depends on fairness as expressed in Rawls principles. In making policies, laws, decisions, or judgments, it is important to ensure each party in the case receives a fair decision. Precisely, this means acting without any form of discrimination or external influence that might sway the decision (Rawls,  1971). As Rawls puts it, justice ensures efficiency in the distribution of resources and promoting economic development. On a similar account, Plato asserts that the implementation of justice should depict a virtue of the soul that promotes the health of the soul (Plato, Ferrari, & Griffith, 2000). In summary, the application of justice encourages equality, efficiency, fairness and non-discriminatory

U.S. History (1865 - 1945) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U.S. History (1865 - 1945) - Essay Example The history of the U.S is outlined by a number of events. The period between 1861 to 1865 was characterised by the American Civil War that clearly had a huge impact on the country, not just during the four years of the war, but after the war period as well.This is evident in the aftermath , between the years 1865 to 1945, to be precise.One of the biggest events that occurred during this period and that had a huge impact on the economy of the nation, and subsequently the world, was the Second Industrial Revolution. The Second Industrial Revolution took place between 1870 and 1914. This was before the initiation of the First World War.The Industrial Revolution truly revolutionized work culture and the very formulation and assimilation of industries. It led to globalised effects and impacted the whole world in terms of conditions and mode of work. The enhancement and growth of communication channels, the spreading of production and consumption across the world and the changing lifestyle s due to the influence and merging of cultures became the order of the day. "Despite America's natural wealth, the Industrial Revolution did not originate in the United States. The first technological breakthroughs occurred in Britain."[ 'The Industrial Revolution in America: A Primary Source History of America's Transformation Into an Industrial Society', Corona Brezina] It is impossible to talk about the Second Industrial Revolution, without taking into account the First Industrial Revolution. The first industrial revolution was brought about when the entire mode of work was revolutionized, with workers shifting massively from the agricultural fields to hard-core machine-equipped industrial units. This led to the dwindling of the agriculture and farming sector and machinery came to occupy an important position in man's life. The Second Industrial Revolution came about, when people started concentrating more on the services, rather than manufacturing per se. The invention of electricity, the growth of railways, and other such details. This period was marked by a change in the set-up of organisations and workplaces, that became quite different. This paradigm shift changed the equations once again and set the pace for a totally different kind of work system and environment. The rise of white-collar jobs and professionals and the catering to demand as per the demands of a country's economic disposition was seen. In addition to this, there was a general form of unemployment, with urban industrial workers taking the main seat. The organisations came to be characterised by a strong working class. For instance, the growth of labour unions and the laying down fo strong principles on the conditions of work, the voicing of opinions and the unification of the working class was commonly seen. Developments in the chemical, electrical and steel industries took place. Mass production was a main feature, leading to growing consumerism. Besides this, the advent of the era of cinema brought along entertainment and revolutionized employment. Increase in production led to greater importance being given to workers, who were by now, organized groups of people, with the desire to get their contribution acknowledged. Thus, evidently, the socio-economic effects were many. "New opportunities and evolving attitudes on the part of the growing manufacturing class, plus the excitement surrounding technological change and the resultant

Side Effects of Computer Addiction

Side Effects of Computer Addiction Computer Addiction: Side Effects and Possible Solutions Since 1979 when the first microcomputer started coming to the United States and Great Britain there has been a very extensive growth in the areas of computers and drugs. The simultaneity of these two occurrences and the scales of peoples involvement with computers gave way to emergence of the term ‘computer addiction in the early 1980s. The word ‘addiction stands to emphasize the seriousness of the problem and implies the possibility of drastic consequences that computer mania might have. In the current paper we will explore the problem of computer addiction with the emphasis made on its bad effects and possible solutions that might be offered to reduce them to minimum or, if possible, to get rid of computer addiction at all. Our claim is that computer addiction exists, humanity needs to be extremely cautious of its bad effects and it has to work out appropriate treatment to help computer dependent people to solve their problems. The reality of modern life is such that personal computers and Internet access have been proliferating across the world. Everyday activities at home, work, and school are increasingly dependent upon computers. Computers are used to organize data, word process documents, send e-mails, and search for new information via the Internet. Between 9 and 15 million people use the Internet daily, and it is estimated that every 3 months the rate of use increases by 25% (Cooper 181). Through Internet computer becomes a useful tool for communication. No one would deny the importance of computer in modern life and the importance of Internet, in particular, but their properties that promote addictive behaviors and in case of Internet pseudo-intimate interpersonal relationships should not be neglected. Cyberspace that computers and Internet create may result in cyber disorders such as virtual relationships that evolve into online marital infidelity or online sexually compulsive behaviors. An increa sing mental health concern, cyber disorders such as Internet addiction disorder (IAD), also known as pathologic Internet use (PIU) have been identified to diagnose serious issues related to Internet use (Young Rogers 25). The side effects of Internet addiction will be discussed below, whereas at the beginning the general considerations as for the term ‘computer addiction are offered. In the doctoral research concerned with computer dependency Margaret Shotton suggests that the term ‘computer addiction should not be used merely concerning the relatively small proportion of computer users who become intensive computer devotees, but, instead, it should stand to denote ‘the state of being given to a habit or pursuit (Shotton 7). The researcher defines a computer dependent person as a hobbyist, ‘a person devoted to a hobby (sometimes used with a connotation of crankiness), where hobby denotes ‘a favorite occupation pursued merely for amusement or an individual pursuit to which a person is devoted out of proportion to its real importance (Shotton 7). One of the values of Shottons research is that the author conducts investigation that proves existence of computer dependency through obtaining the facts of this existence from a number of sources, namely, existing literature on the problem, the authors of the literature and other psychologists, computer studies teachers, and professional care agencies. Personal contact was made with people who worked with computers and average computer users. They all showed belief in the occurrence of the syndrome of computer dependency. Though the respondents did not consider the syndrome to be a widespread problem believing that it affected only a few individuals among the vast number of computer users but the research still confirmed the existence of the syndrome of computer dependency (Shotton 20). Dr. Maressa Hecht Orzack, the founder and coordinator of the Computer Addiction Service, singles out psychological and physical symptoms of computer addiction. Psychological symptoms are: Having a sense of well-being or euphoria while at the computer; Inability to stop the activity; Craving more and more time at the computer; Neglect of family and friends; Feeling empty, depressed, and irritable when not at the computer; Lying to employers and family about activities; Problems with family and friends (Orzack 2003). Physical symptoms are: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Dry eyes; Migraine headaches; Backaches; Eating irregularities like skipping meals; Failure to attend to personal hygiene; Sleep disturbances, change in sleep pattern (Orzack 2003). Coming back to Shottons experiment with studying the side effects of computer addiction we should say that all these symptoms were observed with the interviewees. Though most of the dependents did not want to admit their addiction some did admit that they experienced negative effects from their activities. Some interviewees spoke of the negative effects that their computer addiction had on their employment. One person admitted that in the past he had spent time playing with the computer while he was at work. But the addiction disappeared when he bought his own home microcomputer upon which he had unrestricted access to program as he wished. Another interviewee admitted that it was difficult for him to concentrate at work, instead of handling the problems that appeared he found himself puzzling over computer problems which he could explore only while at home. This turned out to be especially problematic when he was cycling home from work as not once he had nearly ridden into parked ve hicles. The third interviewee spoke of the problems that occurred because of a poor match between his skills and those demanded by his bosses. He was responsible for management activity and could not perform it well because he spent a lot of his working time directly with the computer instead of working with people. What is important is that a lot of interviewees appeared to be reluctant to change their job positions just to remain in the posts that presupposed the frequent use of computers. If, on the contrary, promotion implied more time at computing interviewees spent more hours at work that caused in their intercourse with friends and families. Students of different age admitted that their academic performance suffered because of their devotion to computing. ‘My school work suffers, ‘It was an impediment to my degree, I should have been reading books, ‘It detracts from my schoolwork, ‘I did very poorly at university in the first two years it was detrimental to my coursework and I nearly got thrown out for hacking into the universitys Prime system were the most common answers of those who realized that they were achieving lower standards academically (Shotton 212). But along with these statements the students showed their certainty about the fact that they were more likely to find jobs related to computing than to the spheres they were prepared for at their educational establishments, due to constant work at computer they felt confident in this sphere. As it was mentioned above social lives of computer addicts are also affected. Computers take much of the dependents free time and, as a result, less time is spent communicating with others. Moreover, different misunderstanding appears on the basis of absence of the common interest to computing in case friends and members of the family do not share the interest in computers. Many respondents from Shottons research admitted that they found computing an escape from social interaction: they found it stressful in the past and computer enabled them to get rid of the undesired communication. Working on computer was a common excuse in case the dependants did not want to attend various social activities. Computer mania affected most of all those addicts who were married as they spent less time with their spouses and children. Domestic disharmony, problems in sexual relationships these were the commonest negative effects of computer addiction on a family scale (Shotton 213). Other side effects include those that computers have on the personalities of the dependents. People addicted to computers tend to be more intolerant and impatient with others. Computer becomes a sort of refuge from the real life for them and they become more reserved and restrained. Sometimes a computer dependent person loses interest in the world around and does not even care of ones personal happiness, this person sees computer as the only ‘creature in the world that can understand him or her. The negative physical effects that computer addiction can cause include restlessness, sleeplessness, tension, headache and backache. If computer dependents suffer from some disease the disease worsens while constant working on computer. As far as the problem of computer addiction is concerned Internet addiction deserves especial consideration. Different terms are used to denote this kind of computer addiction: pathological Internet use or problematic Internet use. An Internet addicted person loses the ability to control ones use of the Internet. This lack of control causes marked distress and/or functional impairment (Shapira et al. 270). The addiction may go along with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or alcohol and drug addiction. The most obvious symptoms of Internet addiction include social isolation, family discord, divorce, academic failure, job loss, and debt (Young et al. 475). Other symptoms are: neglecting responsibilities, feelings of depression, tension, anger when Internet is not accessible, a need for better computer programs, etc. There are five Internet-related issues that Internet addiction is composed of: cybersexual addiction, cyber relationship addiction, net compulsions, information overload, and addiction to interactive computer games (Young et al. 476). Side effects of Internet addiction of any type are the same as the ones of computer addiction in general. It influences negatively relationship within families, the members of which believe that they mean nothing to their relative as he or she spends hours sitting in front of the computer. Internet addiction might bring serious financial problems as the habit does not only require some financial provision but it leads to neglecting responsibilities by the dependent that, in turn, may lead to loose of job due to poor performance. Treatment options to computer addiction include: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. It is based on Becks (1976) theory that thoughts determine feelings. The theory encourages the dependent to recognize thoughts and feelings causing him/her to inappropriately use the computer to meet personal needs (Orzack, 1999 15). This is achieved through the following stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, maintenance, and termination. In the first stage the dependent does not recognize the problem that he or she has and, therefore, does not want to change anything. Thus, the therapists task at this stage is to help the patient understand that the problem exists and help him/her realize the necessity of solving it. In the second stage the individual recognizes the need for change but still does not have a substantial desire to change something. In the preparation stage, the individual is ready to establish a plan to address the problem. The dependent person realizes that he or she needs to establish control over computer use by setting time limits. The person seeks for other activities that can be done when the urge to use the computer exists. The maintenance stage begins when the dependent learns to control ones computer use. The goal of this phase is to prevent relapse. The final stage, termination, occurs when the individual has no more desire to overuse the computer. During the treatment the therapists task is to support the dependent in every stage encouraging his or her entering another stage (Wieland 153). Psychopharmacology. It is aimed at treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other anxiety disorders that computer addiction goes along with. Addictions Treatment and Self-Help Groups. The treatment is organized by special addiction services like the Center for Online Addiction, the Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital in Peoria, the Computer Addiction Services at McLean Hospital in Belmont, The National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, etc. Solutions to computer addition may include keeping oneself busy by involvement into work irrelevant to the work of computer. Hobbies become of much importance when there is a desire to get rid or computer dependency. Psychotherapy, marital counseling, addition counseling, parent counseling, social skills training are among the solutions available. Though they are applicable depending on this or that particular case, the use of them in complex is also rather beneficial for the dependent if appropriately organized and controlled. Thus, the paper defined computer and Internet addiction, showed their side effects and offered the most effective ways of solving the problem. Though the solutions proposed are rather helpful, it is a computer users responsibility not to become a computer addict. Personal control over the use of control is required not to become a compute/Internet addict. Works Cited Cooper, A. 1999, ‘Sexuality and the Internet: Surfing into the new millennium, CyberPsychology and Behavior, no. 1, pp. 181-187. Lamberg, L. 1999, ‘Computers enter mainstream psychiatry, Journal of the American Medical Association, no. 278, pp. 799-801. Orzack, M. 1999, ‘How to recognize and treat computer addictions, Directions, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 13-20. Orzack, M. H. 2003, ‘Computer addiction services, Available at: http://www.computeraddiction.com Shapira, N. et al. 2000, ‘Psychiatric features of individuals with problematic Internet use, Journal of Affective Disorders, no. 57, pp. 267-272. Shotton, M. A. 1989, Computer Addiction? A Study of Computer Dependency, London, Taylor Francis. Wieland, D. M. 2005, ‘Computer addiction: Implications for nursing psychotherapy practice, Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, vol. 41, no. 4, p. 153. Young, K. 1998, Caught in the Net, New York, Wiley. Young, K. et al. 1999, ‘Cyber disorders: The mental health concern for the new millennium, CyberPsychology and Behavior, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 475-479. Young, K., Rogers, R. 1998, ‘The relationship between depression and Internet addiction, CyberPsychology and Behavior, vol.1, no. 1, pp. 25-28.