Brett Mecrones
English 110C

The Internet and Disadvantages towards Children

Does the internet have more advantages or disadvantages towards society and people, especially children? Disadvantages and advantages will allow children’s minds to help develop themselves as an adult in the future. Children’s lives are being influenced by the internet negatively. Children and even people are forgetting how to communicate with one another because the internet  is taking over children’s ability to communicate with one another. How children use the Internet and how a child uses the Internet significantly impact the Internet’s influence on him or her. Otherwise, a child’s personality and developmental has a big impact on how  the Internet’s influence on him or her. Everyone should realize that children’s minds will negatively be impacted by the internet, while they develop as a person.Therefore, the internet will continue to be an disadvantage to children because of the internet’s influence on children, being distracted, which causes the lack of communication, and social outcomes.

Children lives are being influenced by the internet negatively. The Internet has a significant potential for providing children and youth with access to educational information, and can provide a lot of information for children. However, the lack of editorial standards limits the Internet’s credibility as a source of information. There are other concerns as well. The amount of time spent sitting in front of computers can affect a child’s postural development. According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, “Excessive amounts of time at a computer can contribute to obesity, undeveloped social skills and a form of addictive behavior”(“Impact of Media Use”). In addition, some children with seizure disorders are more vulnerable to attacks brought on by a computer screen. “Even worse, there are pedophiles who use the Internet to attract young people into relationships”(“Impact of Media Use”). There is also the potential for children to be exposed to bad material. But it all determines by the individual’s personality, and how children use the internet for their own use and advantage. Therefore, children lives will continue to be influenced by the internet negatively because it affects children’s health, they can be exposed to bad people and material online, and they are isolated by the outside world.

Children are forgetting how to communicate with one another because the internet is distracting them. Not only is the internet is a distraction to children, but also other digital technology like phones and television. There’s so many distractions these days like the internet to avoid conversations with people. Richard Restak a professor of neurology and author of, “Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era,” a chapter from The New Brain, deals with the effects of technology towards people brains. “As a result of increasing demands on our attention and focus, our brains try to adapt by rapidly shifting attention from one activity to another- a strategy that is now almost a requirement for survival”(“Attention Deficit” pg. 376). Childrens are being distracted on trying to adapt by shifting attention. It’s hard for children to focus because their brains are not fully developed and therefore the have trouble  paying attention and shifting attention from one activity to another. All of this distractions leads to communications problems. For example, children can learn to use social media and email to contact people to avoid face to face conversations.”You must learn to rapidly process information, function amidst surroundings your parents would have described as “chaotic”(“Attention Deficit” pg.378). As children grow up they are able to process information from learning from their parents, teachers, and others. If children are not taught the right way from their surroundings if can cause chaos and lack of  communication towards their parents. Overall, children can be distracted easily because their brains are not fully developed to be able to pay attention and shift attention to one activity to another. With children’s brains not being fully developed they are forgetting how to communicate with others  because the internet is taking over their minds and distracting them.

How children used the internet will determine and affect social outcomes. First of all I think how much and when children used the internet can affect their social outcomes.On the one hand, time spent online is time not spent elsewhere, including participating in social activities and communicating with family and friends.The Internet’s social impact may depend on using these tools to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Bill Wasik an writer and editor at Wired magazine. He wrote a  book called, “And Then There’s This: How Stories explains Live and Die in Viral Culture”. In the chapter titled, “My Crowd Experiment: The Mob Project”, Wesik describes the beginning of the flash mob as a social experiment to satiate his thirst for something new and interesting; simply, he was bored. “The Mob Project was a self-conscious bandwagon – advertised itself as a bandwagon, as a joke about conformity, and it lampooned bandwagons in doing so”(“The Mob Project” pg.484). Bill Wasik and his experiment created a bandwagon effect, which means that everyone follows along. Bill Wasik and his, “Mob Project”, which created a bandwagon can relate to children being negatively affected by the internet. If grown ups and matured adults can create a bandwagon effect and get everyone to tag along to trying to help guide children on how to use the internet that would be very beneficial to not just children, but society. Children need to be guided on using the internet safely and be avoided by bad people and material. A bandwagon effect would be so useful to young children on using the internet and be beneficial to creating good social outcomes as well. Social impacts may depend on personal and situational factors. Alternatively, it may be that Internet use has no social impact. Like media that have preceded it, the Internet may be seamlessly integrated into children and people’s ongoing lives.

There are advantages for children to learn about technology. Children can benefit to modern technology in many ways. According to “Digi Parenthood” an online resource where moms and dads come together to share and discuss relevant information on parenting, technology, and preparing their children for the 21st century. One way is that modern technology help children have better hand-eye coordination and improve
language skills. “Hand-eye coordination is essential as children begin school when they learn how to use their hands and eyes while writing and drawing”(DigiParenthood). Modern technology has access to so much information and that information is so powerful, which can help children improve their hand-eye coordination and improve language skills. “Many types of language development technology offer multisensory engagement, which offers speed and support to the learning process”(DigiParenthood), Some other ways that technology is an advantage to children’s is that they can enhance social interaction skills, increases motivation to complete tasks, develop problem solving skills, and children are allowed to develop skills and talents. Otherwise, studies showed that technology and screen time can actually help develop and improve children’s learning when used appropriately.

To avoid the negative impacts that the internet have towards children, I think it’s crucial that children try to find meaning and purpose. The best ways for children to find meaning and purpose is through sports, connect with other people, friendship, family, and being outside with nature. Children can play sports for fun and play on a team where they can learn how to play the sport and make friends as well. Children can learn how to connect with people and communicate with them. Friendship and family is very
important to children because children learn from family. They learn good qualities and habits from their families like being respectful. Having friends can be positive developmental influence on children.

Does using the Internet affect children’s development? Do children become socially isolated or connected when they use the Internet? Do they become depressed or elated? Does school performance suffer or improve? These are all questions that have negative answers to them  possibly because of the internet. In order children to avoid bad habits from the internet they need to be guided and monitored by grown ups, especially parents. Technology is advancing and the internet is going to continue to develop and change rapidly. It’s important that children find a meaning and purpose and get outside and not be isolated by a computer in a house. Therefore, children need to used the internet and technology until they are matured and understand how the internet is capable to create a bad influence on children, which can cause them to be distracted, which causes them to have a lack of communication, and can affect social outcomes.

Works Cited

“Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth.” Paediatrics & Child Health, Pulsus Group Inc, 2003, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792691/.

DigiMOM, Posted by. “10 Benefits of Exposing Young Children to Modern Technology.” DigiParenthood, 27 Aug. 2013, digiparenthood.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/10-benefits-of-exposing-young-children-to-modern-technology/.

Restak, Richard, “ Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era.” The New Brain. Emerging Third Edition, 2003. Book

Wasik, Bill, “My Crowd Experiment: The Mob Project.” Boredom.
Emerging Third Edition, 2003. Book