Internet is a major part of all our lives. Whether you need it for professional, educational, or recreational purposes there is a website devoted to your needs. It has been estimated that there is over 2.25 million websites. A lot of these websites are lifesavers. However with the good comes the bad. Between 75% and 90% of teenagers from 13-19 use the internet in the united states. most of these kids use it on a daily basis, spending an hour or more "surfing" the internet. What exactly are your kids "surfing through?
Well parents, there is good news and there is bad news. Good news is the internet is not evil. There are many websites that are extremely positive. People use the internet for research and studing purposes. Before interent a research paper could take weeks to finish, considering the library time and labor hours spent to research your topic. Now with the internet it could be done in days, most of that spent sorting through the vast amount of information at your fingertips.
Another great thing about internet is the social connection available. "Online interactions provide essential socail support for otherwise isolated adolescents." Being able to stay in touch with friends has never been easier. With the internet people can have an assortment of friends. Also it helps shy teenagers make friends. with the internet they are not rushed into speaking and without the face to face contact there is less to be nervous about.
For adults the internet provides entertainment and news that is controlled by what you want from it. With the internet it is simple to hear and see what is going on across the world. Now people with busy schedules can have services done right from home. You can shop, work, get a degree and almost anything without leaving the house.
Now for the bad news. People do have the tendency to be evil which makes things people create have negative impacts even if it was create to better society. The worse things that parents deal with is protecting their kids from the harms in this world. The internet, unfortunately, can provide some of these harms.
Online bullying is a growing epidemic. Mentioned earlier, shy kids do open up more online, well some bold children open up as well. Kids think that what they say on the internet cant be harmful. Also it is not censored or protected by teachers and parents. Normal bullying at school or in a neighborhood is horrible and humiliating. Imagine a child's humiliation being broadcasted through the world wide web.
With the vast amount of information at ones disposal one might think the more available the better. Kids are able to look through this online widow and see things they might not need to see. The internet is practically unrestricted and children can easily find porn or violence. Someone can find a little too much information without even really searching.
With the easy way to stay in touch with friends and family comes an easy way for stalkers to find people. Online stalking is as easy as having a Facebook. most people don't think about who reads their posts when they announce where they are going to be and exactly what they are doing. The internet made a lot of things easier; stalking included.
People who use the internet just need to be wary. the internet is an amazing tool for society and can bring people together. With great power comes great responsibility. Watch your kids, keep the computer in a public area of the house, check history and make sure everyone knows about the dangers of scams, viruses, and spam along with the other far worse things.
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