The Downside of Internet Consumption among Children - Term Paper Example

The Downside of Internet Consumption among Children I. Introduction With the evolution of science and technology, the products of scientific innovation certainly provided much reliability, accessibility, and comfortability especially to the current needs and demands of these modern times. In this digital age, the Internet truly becomes an indispensable part of daily life, and the young populations are obviously not an exception (Cheon 1). Indeed, most children at the present time are now more capable and even much knowledgeable than their elders regarding the use of the internet. Nowadays, the present generation would rather spend several hours using the computer than watching TV (Pavlik 267). This merely implies that whatever they want might just be acquired in an instant as almost everything is possible in just a matter of seconds. It is imperative to note, however, that the effects and the various influences of the rampant application of the internet among the youth may eventually create both constructive and detrimental impact on their development. Although the internet serves to be favorable and beneficial most of the time, its detrimental effects outweigh its advantages in most cases. Moreover, Cheon significantly notes “children’s exposure to negative internet content relates to the social context of internet usage”, where the family plays a significant part on their susceptibility to some unpleasant subject matter which can be easily accessed over the internet (3). Worst of all, children are always prone to suffer almost all sorts of health-related issues even at their very young age, and might as well become more indolent and insensible because of too much reliability and addiction on the advances of technology. The main essence of this essay seeks to point out those children less than 12 years old should not yet be introduced to the cyber world. Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the disadvantages of the internet to children as evidenced by their inappropriate exposure to the media. II. Internet Definition, Origin, and History The Internet is precisely the most profitable contribution and seemingly the best application to the usage of computers in this era of technological development. It mainly refers to the “interconnection of networks,” which permits other computers to communicate and transfer data through a system of multiple devices (Goel 196). The availability of information becomes more exclusive as the internet offers different services in just a matter of seconds. Although the internet continues to exist in this highly advanced and complicated society, not everyone knows where and how it started. Goel notes that computer networking originated at the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where it established the ARPANET in the 1970s that eventually developed the foundations of “internetworking” (197). Consequently, the stages that accompany the progress of the internet certainly made a quantum leap that made communication and interaction go across the borders of wireless connectivity. Purpose The frequent use of the internet severely revolutionized the current trend in the information technology (IT) industry where it created a much more complex and structured function in the delivery of the service it provides to its users. Hock argued that originally, the primary reason for the invention of the internet was plainly to design “a communications channel” which grants the comfort of data transmission where resources are readily available to the other users (2). In an academic research, conducted by the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), the internet simply evolved to make what used to be complicated and difficult become more convenient and satisfactory. In this Information Age, the internet apparently does not only serve to make communication favorable to most, but it too has gone a long way to exceed limitations. Demographics of Users The massive application of the internet continues to expand dramatically as the existing trend in this age of technology becomes more influential to the users. Approximately in ten years, internet invasion in the United States reckons to correspond to the “80 to 85 percent” consumption to that of Sweden, Finland, and South Korea (Anandarajan 4). American youngsters of about eighty percent habitually use the internet, given the vast availability of resources that can be obtained through the other products of “media technologies” such as mobile phones, laptops, iPod, and more (Pavlik 268). Likewise, an estimation of 86 percent ranging from 9 to 11 year olds access the internet primarily “for school or educational activities” while listed as their second priority was doing other leisure-related stuff such as playing online games and chatting (Pitman 4). The Sudden Growth of Social Networking Sites The widespread use of the World Wide Web ultimately gave rise to the gradual growth of social networking sites especially among the youth. Grinter et al. argued that the necessity to associate and interact with peers causes the “popularity” of the networking sites to soar at greater heights, which tremendously influenced the young people (qtd. in Kraut et al. 201). Young as they are, the children, however, are extremely much prone to the highly addictive influence of these networking sites as they tend to imitate what the current fad is. Just by simply creating their own Facebook, MySpace and Twitter account, they can instantly connect to other people and share information whenever they want even though they are distance apart. Advantage of Internet In this age of technological advancement, the Internet undoubtedly offers a wide array of services that truly made life so convenient and much more comfortable where information and communication provide the greatest benefits it can provide to anyone. It is just one of the powerful tools that serve as a blueprint to doing things that are sometimes beyond human capacity. For most students, they can already make some research on their homework with the aid of using search engines such as Google and yahoo while having the leisure of acquiring new information at the same time to keep them motivated and interested. On the other hand, professionals in various fields of specialization can easily transact business online making them more productive and efficient in their respective workplace. Although these are just some of the advantages of what the internet has to offer, it is remarkable to note that its numerous benefits brought rapid and enormous changes in the daily course of life especially in coping up with the current needs and demands in this fast-paced world. Negative Effects of the Internet to Children With the powerful invention of the internet in this Information Age, which is profoundly affecting everyone’s lifestyle, its adverse effects towards the children may sometimes threaten the different aspects of their growth and development. While children are more improperly exposed to the internet, they are always at high risk of “aggression, fear, desensitization, poor school performance, prevalence of symptoms of psychological trauma, antisocial behavior, negative self-perception, low self-esteem, lack of reality, identity confusion, and more” as perceived by Donnerstein et al. (qtd. in Cheon 2). This merely implies that these adverse effects may impede their progress and development in terms of their physical, cognitive, and social aspects. Although, the widespread usage of the internet among children is customary to improve their knowledge and learning, parents seriously worry about the possibilities of violence and the negative impact of forbidden “material as pornography” (Van Evra 196). Likewise, health-related concerns may be at risk as the repercussions of this negative exposure may bring about harmful reaction, which could lead to the deterioration of their health. As Parke and Clarke-Stewart clearly stress out that too much attachment regarding the use of the internet can lead to serious physical hazards such as “increased risk of obesity, seizures, and hand injuries” ( 314). III. Argument Apparently bombarded with various leisure activities, children in this digital age can easily avail from different sources at the expense of their own convenience. Their intense exposure to several “forms and content” of the media is quite in contrast from the experience of the older generation (Guse and Riddle 7). Gone are the days where the children before play outdoor games and involve themselves in different social activities. In fact, the powerful dominance of the internet is now continuously replacing the genuine experience of their childhood stage as they enormously interact to an artificial world of reality, or commonly defined as the cyberspace. From their profound academic studies, Kraut et al. presented two possibilities on the negative psychological effects of using the internet: (1) the information is likely to expose an “activity displacement effect” and (2) the information may probably “displace strong social ties” (qtd. in Sparks 223). Similarly, when children already become connected to the internet, they limit the time interacting with other people, thus, restraining them to build and establish a profound human relationship. For this matter, children under 12 years should not yet be introduced to the cyber world as this does not call for a necessity and either does this age is suitable for them to use the internet. In most cases, their vulnerability will just ultimately cause them to become violent and aggressive. Megan Smith emphasized that as the children gradually adopt the modern means of communication and entertainment, they are at the same time presented with a variety of “digital tools” by independently allowing them to assert and develop their own uniqueness as individuals (1). It is justifiable to note, however, that the parents play a tremendously significant role both in reinforcing and overseeing their children’s sense of ingenuity (Smith 2). Although it is still immensely necessary to teach and guide them to be well-informed in technological development, it is advisable to set some limitations on their usage of the internet. Even it contributes to the improvement of their knowledge and skill, there must be restrictions as to what material they ought to absorb and learn. This is certainly the most crucial stage of their development; therefore, parents need to monitor their children most of the time as to how they educate them in learning the basics especially in terms of internet consumption. In addition, parents must stimulate consciousness and strictly enforce the right conduct on the grounds of discipline in molding their children to become responsible internet users. Above all, they need to be constantly aware on the pros and cons so as to prevent or minimize their internet usage. IV. Conclusion The impact of science and technology certainly brought enormous transformation in the daily turnout of events which makes everything almost possible, accessible, and sometimes extraordinary given all the conveniences and the vast amount of contribution from the internet. With its innovative invention, millions of people across the globe gain a lot of opportunities for development and unlimited potential to discover beyond the horizon. However, the rampant application of the internet can be thoroughly influential to the young population in a society where the dominance of media becomes more notable. At their different stages of development, children are almost always subject to quite a number of factors that are likely to cause a change in their lifestyle due to the massive influence of the media and the rapid growth of technology. It is inevitable that they will undoubtedly recognize that the internet is already becoming a part and parcel of their daily existence. Although the increasing popularity of the internet becomes widely known and its various advantages serve to benefit the majority, it is not suitable for children especially those under 12 years old to gain access to it since they are the most vulnerable group in the community where their general welfare and well-being are always at a high risk. Accordingly, this age category is not appropriate for their level of maturity. Likewise, if parents or guardians are to employ it as a contributing factor for their children’s cognitive, physical, and social development, they still must adhere to what is necessary, beneficial, and practicable in order to maximize their optimum potential. Most importantly, they are bound to live by examples and exemplify a virtue directed towards responsible parenthood while serving to promote excellence and commitment especially in the formation of their children’s values and character as individuals with a high sense of responsibility. Works Cited Anandarajan, Murugan, et al., ed. The Internet and Workplace Transformation. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc, 2006. Print. Cheon, Hongsik John. “Children’s Exposure to Negative Internet Content: Effects of Family Context.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media (12 Dec. 2005): 1-4. Print. Goel, Anita. Computer Fundamentals. New Delhi: Dorling Kindersly, 2010. Print. Guse, Emily, and Karyn Riddle. The Media’s Impact on Children: A Handbook for Parents, Educators, and Policymakers. Spain: Editorial Aresta, 2009. Print. Hock, Randolph. The Extreme Searcher’s Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher. 2nd ed. New Jersey: CyberAge Books, 2007. Print. Kraut, Robert, et al., ed. Computers, Phones, and the Internet: Domesticating Information Technology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. Parke, Ross, and Alison Clarke-Stewart. Social Development. Jefferson City: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2011. Print. Pavlik, John. Media in the Digital Age. West Sussex: Columbia University Press, 2008. Print. Pitman, Susan. “The Impact of Media Technologies on Child Development and Wellbeing.” OzChild (2008): 4. Print. Smith, Megan, ed. Child Sexual Abuse: Issues and Challenges. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc, 2008. Print. Sparks, Glenn G. Media Effects Research: A Basic Overview. 3rd ed. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Van Evra, Judith. Television and Child Development. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc, 2004. Print. Read More