Affects of the Internet - Essay Example

The Internet has a strong impact on our lives. Even for small children, it became an integral part of their lives with lots of games, cartoons, and all kinds of pictures which it may propose to use. The child learns through the monitor because the computer is a storehouse of information that young children absorb like a sponge. The influence of the computer on the psyche of the child has both positive and negative effects. Still, I’d like to pay particular attention to the negative aspects of using computers and the Internet in childhood.

For a child with his stormy imagination computer games can be a real disease. A colorful world, victories, and defeats, interesting rivals - all this captures the child. Most games carry aggressive tendencies - murders and destruction. While playing, the child identifies himself with his character and becomes aggressive. If in the virtual world, it is possible to kill, and destroy, then the same can be done in the real world - that is a conclusiothatch is formed in the children's minds (Lee 2008).

Information with erotic nature filled the Internet. Some photos and videos even for adults are somehow awkward to watch. But most of the children may have access to porn sites. Childhood and adolescence is the time of formation of sexuality. Porn sites may promote unhealthy sexuality, erotic relationships with all indiscriminately (Lee & Tamborini 2009). Taking into account the unformed child's consciousness, the availability of such information may simply destroy the sexuality of the child and break his whole life.

The child often becomes an unwitting hostage of the lifestyle of their own parents, behavior, and habits which he or she copies on a conscious and subconscious level (Mesch 2009). Long chat with a computer, which in the representation of the child begins to associate with a friend who is always ready to play and do not say "Enough, I'm tired!", can lead not only to the emergence of computer dependency but to a whole range of other negative effects.

Communicative activities carried out through the Internet are various. Currently, there are intensive experiments with anonymity, from the total self-discovery with elements of exhibitionism up to the hype and the inclination to manipulate and control the impression about oneself. Thus, problems with communicative activities appear in the form of a low ability to perceive the emotional state of a partner and a reduction of the ability to recognize non-verbal aspects of communication

Compulsive Internet use is linked to the inability to control, reduce or stop oneself. Excessive Internet use is the degree to which a person feels that spends too much time online or even loses track of time using the Internet (Lee 2008). For those who cannot limit themselves, the outcome can be very sad, such as depression, loneliness, and restriction of communication with people face to face.

We should also remember the issue related to the deterioration of vision and physical problems. Very rarely you may find children who keep posture while sitting at a computer, or who have a limitation in the use of the Internet for up to two hours a day. Sure, the function of "Parental Control" still exists, but it is very difficult to explain teenager this decision and thus it is necessary to apply the right approach. For example, you may propose to visit special groups of interests, which is rather time-consuming; you can also invite your child's classmates to your place and spend more time with your child while visiting cafes, theatres, and cinemas.

In addition, the Internet has also a negative impact on the studying process. It turns out to have no sense to read, write and learn while each topic of the essay or a summary of the book may be found on the Internet. Often essays are just printed from the network without reading (Mokhtari 2009).

Thus, the Internet is rather attractive as a means to escape from reality due to the possibility of anonymous social interactions. Turns out to be a particularly important sense of security and awareness because of anonymity while communicating. Secondly, Internet gives an opportunity to implement some ideas, fantasies and get feedback almost immediately (Hick & Halpin 2001). And finally, the Internet provides unrestricted access to information, which despite all its positive effects causes information vampirism.

To sum up it may be said that due to the peculiarities of their consciousness children adapt to the world around them in a very short period of time, which is also true for the world of computers. Unfortunately, many changes caused by such features of the children an ordinary man is not able to notice immediately, as this task can handle only by an experienced teacher or psychologist.

For instance, computer dependency causes changes in the emotional sphere, the emergence of increased aggressiveness, and frequent outbreaks of violence. You can also pay attention to another aspect of the problem - the child stops the flight of fancy, typical for his age, becomes unable to create his own visual images, and with great difficulty can compile and analyze the received information. Computers often can lead to long-term impairment in the mental and intellectual development of the child. Some psychologists now consider that the so-called "computer generation" has deterioration of certain types of memory, the emergence of emotional immaturity, and general irresponsibility. Thus it should be remembered that the computer can be a friend and help in trouble, it helps to find like-minded people, as well as it may create a lot of problems, lead to loneliness, becoming a sworn enemy.