The Use of the Internet for Children - Research Paper Example

Computers in Society: Internet for Children Table of Contents THESIS MENT 3 I. INTRODUCTION 3 II. THE RISK OF SOCIAL APATHY 4 III. ONLINE ABUSE 5 IV. LACK OF SELF-LEARNING SKILL 5 V. SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MINIMIZE THE DISADVANTAGES 6 VI. CONCLUSION 7 Works Cited 8 THESIS STATEMENT Although the Internet provides numerous advantages, it is vital to be very careful in the use of the internet for children as it may possibly trigger several severe social harms in keeping with societal paradigm. I. INTRODUCTION The breakthrough of the Internet has offered numerous benefits for society and at the same time, it has also become as a source of discussion among policy makers, academics and the media due to its adverse repercussions for the society. It has been observed that over 90% of 8-15 years old and 80% under five years old are rampantly involved in using the Internet on a regular basis (Gutnick, Robb, Takeuchi and Kotler 1-43). It cannot be denied that since the evolution of the Internet, it has provided numerous benefits for society including children. In this regard, the Internet has facilitated in greater access to information regarding various subjects which has ultimately contributed in strengthening knowledge base of children. The Internet has also bestowed children with cognitive development opportunity and has further acquainted them with the understanding of culture which would have otherwise not been possible. However, the use of the Internet by children is not only accompanied with positive influences but it also imposes several serious social harms to the society as well. It can be noted that the Internet has resulted in overloading of information to children. Moreover, it has been claimed that the Internet have serious impact on academic performance of children and their social relationships. Thus, it is imperative to ensure certain cautions in the use of the Internet by children (Brey 1-14). II. THE RISK OF SOCIAL APATHY The Internet has become an integral part of people’s daily life, hence it is crucial to derive an understanding regarding its social impact. Besides, the benefits provided by the Internet for society, two major risks of using the Internet by children can be recognized. The first risk associated with the use of the Internet by children can be associated with the detachment from peer group, family and school. Accordingly, it has been identified that most of the children in America have access to the Internet and are making widespread use for everything including playing games to chatting with friends. Correspondingly, the time spent by children over the Internet has raised a major concern as it is believed that spending considerable time over the Internet may probably displace other activities necessary for all-round development of children. It is feared that extensive use of the Internet by children might influence them to make ‘electronic friendship’ instead of creating friendship with peers which may act as a hindrance to their interpersonal skill development and at the same time it may lead to their detachment from peer group, family and school. Another major risk can be related with the access to violence and unsuitable information. It has been observed that children involved in extensive use of the Internet are frequently attracted towards online games which are often characterized by aggression, hostility and competition. Correspondingly, repeated play of such games is ascertained to radically influence the behavior of children leading towards increased level of aggression and hostility. Moreover, it has been claimed that the children using the Internet are bombarded with increased amount of information and due to the lack of proper selection mechanism it contains false and unreliable information. Therefore, such unauthentic information has negatively influenced the development aspect of children (Subrahmanyam, Kraut, Greenfield and Gross 123-144). III. ONLINE ABUSE The growing use of the Internet has offered a new way through which commonly identified malpractices including sexual and emotional abuse can be easily pursued. It has been claimed that there is vile presence of online predators to get connected with children. The online predators make use of various applications to contact with children such as chat room, e-mail and IM. This makes children vulnerable to increased risk of exposure to pornography and other sexual contains. Evidently, it has been observed that one child out of five is sexually solicited in the US. Additionally, one out of four children in the US is also recognized to encounter with unwanted pornography (Sommers 4-47; San Diego County District Attorney, “Protecting Children Online”). IV. LACK OF SELF-LEARNING SKILL The excessive use of the Internet amid the children has also negatively influenced their development. Although the Internet has been considered to be an effective learning tool for children in the current world but the extensive dependence of children on the Internet has significantly reduced their self-learning ability. It has been observed that due to the availability of a large volume of information and its easy access over the Internet, children are now making the use of search engine to acquire needed information with little or no effort. Correspondingly, it has reduced the ability of children to formulate own ideas alongside it has also negatively influenced their creativity. Moreover, the presence of auto-spelling check is also believed to hinder the proper learning practice amid the children. It is perceived that such facilities might also unfavorably influence the reading and writing skills of children (Chou, Condron and Belland 363-388). V. SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MINIMIZE THE DISADVANTAGES It is quite difficult to completely eliminate the risk associated with the use of the Internet by children. However, certain measures can be considered in order to minimize the disadvantages related with its use. Correspondingly, it is crucial for parents to educate themselves about the Internet. It is suggested that parents are required to communicate their children about the risks of Internet use to children. In addition, it is also recommended to parents to monitor the activities of their children closely while using the Internet. Parents should also make use of filtering and blocking software so that children are unable to view the abusive contents present over the Internet. It is also essential for parents to restrict their children from communicating or chatting with strangers. Often online predators ask children to meet offline for sexual contact; hence parents should not allow their children to meet with any stranger. Moreover, parents should spend time online with the children. As stated earlier, children are often viewed to be extensively engaged in playing online games which tends to develop aggression and hostility within them. It is thus imperative for parents to established time frame such as maximum of two hours for surfing the Web. Setting time frame will also enable children to focus on other activities which are essential for their overall development (San Diego County District Attorney, “Protecting Children Online”). VI. CONCLUSION The usage of the Internet is growing rapidly amid children and youth. It is thus imperative to acquire considerable understanding about the advantages and disadvantages of its usage. It has been observed that the excessive use of the Internet by children is accompanied with several serious outcomes. Notably, those children who spend considerable time surfing the Internet are vulnerable to social detachment from their peers, family and school. At the same time, it is also believed that the excessive use of the Internet has radical impact on the behavior of children as well as on their academic performance. It has been claimed that not all the information available over the Internet are reliable and authentic. Consequently, access to false and unauthentic information may have the tendency to negatively influence the knowledge base of children. The Internet has also increased the risk of exposure to abusive contents such as pornography which has been ascertained to adversely impact the cognitive development of the children. Besides, the increased dependence on the Internet has limited the self-learning ability of children and has adversely influenced their proper learning process. Consequently, in order to minimize the risks associated with the use of the Internet by children, parents are required to communicate the potential dangers pertaining to the usage of the Internet as well as monitor the activities of children while being online. Works Cited Brey, Philip. “Evaluating the Social and Cultural Implications of the Internet.” University of Twente (2012): 1-14. Print. Chou, Chien, Linda Condron, and John C. Belland. “A Review of the Research on Internet Addiction.” Educational Psychology Review 17.4 (2005): 363-388. Print. Gutnick, Aviva Lucas, Michael Robb, Lori Takeuchi and Jennifer Kotler. “Always Connected: The New Digital Media Habits of Young Children.” Sesame Workshop and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center (2011): 1-43. Print. Subrahmanyam, Kaveri, Robert E. Kraut, Patricia M. Greenfield, and Elisheva F. Gross. “The Impact of Home Computer Use on Children’s Activities and Development.” The Future of Children 10.2 (2000): 123-144. Print. Sommers, Michael A. The Dangers of Online Predators. United States: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2008. Print. “Protecting Children Online.” San Diego County District Attorney. 2010. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. Read More