How doest the internet affect the teen age generations - Research Paper Example

(Christensen and Livingston, 2003 p.786) communication and socialization technologies such as chat rooms, instant messaging, text messaging as well as personal webs and social web sites has provided the teenagers to reach to diverse sources of opportunity and knowledge (Wakefield and Rice, 2008, p.21). This is a positive impact and has changed the mode of communication and socializing among the teenagers as they seek opportunities and knowledge with the least time and cost. However, these opportunities have come with their challenges.

While we embrace the new technology and its impact on the communication and socialization arena, it is important for the concerned agencies and learning institution to provide guidance to the teenagers. This is because the new technology has not only come with lots of benefits to the youths, but it has also been accompanied by other negative impacts. This is because the technology is free and there is no screening of information so that the right information is passed to the right person at the right time.

The teenagers have therefore accessed certain information that are not meant to them at this age and hence has influenced their social behavior, moral behavior, and personality, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual development (Wakefield and Rice, 2008, p.1). . It has resulted to the teenager’s preference to socialize and communicate online rather than communicate in person. According to Christensen and Livingston (2003 p.787), affordable internet technology has increased the level of interaction through facebook or twitter rather than communication and interaction within the public social places, institutions or just along the streets.

The advancement in mobile phone internet technology has made it very simple for the individuals to interact at any time and place. Availability of facebook mobile has even increased the rate at which the teenagers socialize online and hence it is possible to learn from the other person in the shortest time possible. However, this development and increasing communication and socialization have resulted into the development of individuals who lack personality. Interaction on the internet has resulted into the teens growing but lack important social skills and hence may not communicate effectively with their peers (Wakefield and Rice, 2008 p.2). Development of social skills is however very important at this stage of development.

Since teenagers mainly consist of adolescents and emerging adulthood, it is important to note that they are undergoing cognitive development which is vital for their social well being. Personality development is vital at this stage since because it would influence the individuals in the future. However, social sites like MySpace and facebook does not provide the opportunity for the individuals to face social challenges while interacting hence it is difficult for the teenagers to develop the socializing skills that are important for healthy interaction with their peers (Christensen and Livingston, 2003 p.788). Close communication