The internet has entangled the world in its web, especially the young. First, the internet could only be accessed through big, box-like computers sitting on the desks. Later, it appeared on portable laptops and then on gaming consoles, mobile phones, and tablet computers. Now, around the clock, we are surrounded by this web. However, this uncontrolled progression, expansion, and invasion of technology have also raised many questions about its role in children’s development. Many researchers strongly recommend that children under three years should not use computers. According to them, children of that age learn through their bodily organs, namely, eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs. Children at this stage are still learning to master walking, running, talking, and making friends. Computers and gadgets are not a good choice for the development of their basic life skills. So, here, we will discuss about the topic ” Internet Safety“.
Even when children are older and developmentally ready to use computers and the Internet. There are certain good and bad points about technology that parents should bear in mind.
Effects of Technology
The Good
If used properly, computers and the Internet are priceless sources of quality education and entertainment content.
The Internet has become a platform without boundaries where one can display one’s creative talents without needing any backer or where one can communicate with people across the globe.
Early exposure to technology allows children to master many adult technical skills at much earlier ages.
The Bad
Physical Effects
The increasing amounts of time that children spend in front of a computer screen give them less time to play, study, and sleep. This puts them at risk of obesity, impaired school performance, eye strain, and sleep problems.
Faulty posture while sitting for long hours in front of the computer screen and continuous typing or thumb typing can cause serious muscle, bone, and joint problems in heavy gadget users.
Psychological and behavioral effects
The use of computers may blur a child’s ability to distinguish the real world from the virtual world.
Excessive use of computers and gadgets often hurts children’s friendships and family relationships. They may become prone to emotional and psychological problems.
Playing violent computer games may increase aggressiveness and desensitize a child to human suffering.
The “Internet” could expose children to text, images, audio, or inappropriate video content. Sexually explicit content or intolerance-filled propaganda could lead to deviant and dangerous behaviors.
The large number of “likes” and positive comments for doing something as insignificant as posting a photograph or stating a current activity may give a false sense of accomplishment and bloated self-esteem. Agreed, all humans are narcissistic to some degree and need that occasional boost of appreciation. But the internet and social networking sites are making that self-love far too bad for our good.
Computers and the internet have taken away many children from the extremely enjoyable and enlightening habit of reading books or newspapers. Many children today instead prefer “viewing” stories as videos on gadgets.
The wealth of information stored on the internet and the ease of its retrieval have led people (especially young students) to look at it as the ultimate source of knowledge. That is why plagiarism and an unwillingness to explore traditional sources of information have been increasingly observed in student’s work. Students often overlook the possibility that a lot of the information found on the internet may be coming from unauthenticated and dubious sources. Everything learned by using a search engine and confirmed by an online encyclopedia may not be true.
The invasion of technology can be easily felt in fields like music, movies, art, and design where individual hands-on creativity is giving way to mass-produced software-based output.
Habits such as constant multitasking and the expectation of instant gratification are making many youngsters unfocused and impatient with short attention spans.
The technology-induced shortening and distortion of language through tweets, SMSs, and net chats is a serious challenge to traditional languages.
Social and legal problems:
Through Internet chat rooms, emails, and social networks, children and teenagers encounter dangerous anti-social elements. Identity theft, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, financial scams and theft, sexual abuse, and computer virus attacks are some of the major dangers.
Virtual identity sometimes gives users a false sense of invisibility and unaccountability. That is why some internet users lose simple civic sense. But provocative, criminal, or illegal internet-based actions can be easily tracked by authorities and can lead to unpleasant social or legal consequences. Even a seemingly harmless activity like a music or movie download may leave a younger in violation of intellectual property laws and liable for legal action.
The “posts” on virtual networks remain archived for years, and the wrong ones could affect social or career prospects even years later.
Set clear guidelines about gadget and “Internet Safety”.
Tips for Parents on Internet Safety
Age Limit:
Avoid introducing gadgets (computers, tablets, game consoles, mobile phones) before the age of 3 years, even as a toy. Let children first get acquainted with the real world, people, games, and activities. Allow 3-10-year-old children to use gadgets only in your presence.
Time Limit:
Total screen time should be up to 20-30 minutes per day in the 3–6-year age group, gradually increased to a maximum of 1-2 hours per day, with priority for educational use.
Tip: Include television viewing time in the calculation of total screen time.
Content Limit:
Introduce age-appropriate games, software programs, and websites. Activate your browser’s pop-up blocker. Child-safety filtering software programs allow you to monitor your children’s online activity, set healthy time limits, and ensure safe content access. But your presence is the best filter and monitor.
Location Limit:
Strictly forbid any closed-door internet or gadget use. Children as well as teenagers should be allowed to access the internet only in the common area of the house.
Activity Limits:
Ensure that children take regular relaxation breaks while using the computer. Family lunches, dinners, and outings should be gadget-free periods.
Educate, encourage, engage, and enrich.
Be involved in your children’s cyber-world experience. Educate yourself about gadgets and online activities. When you introduce children to gadgets, teach the basic do’s and don’ts from an early age. Encourage them to freely share their positive and negative online experiences.
Encourage children in creative and productive activities such as making a website, creating a blog, joining an online hobby or learning group, or making imaginative videos. But teach them not to share too many personal and family details in such activities.
Internet Safety Tips
Teach your children basic online usage rules for Internet Safety.
- To protect identity use a screen name, share the email account with a parent in pre-teen years, and use proper privacy settings on social networks in later ages.
- Do not accept any chat or friendship requests from strangers.
- Never meet an unknown “virtual friend” alone anywhere.
- Never share passwords, personal information images, or credit card details with anyone.
- Never make unauthorized online downloads or online purchases.
- Be responsible “netizens” and understand that one’s online activities should always be within social, cultural, and legal limits and that one is accountable for any transgression.
- Freely discuss any unpleasant online incidents with parents.
- Make sure that you are part of your children’s social network but just as an observer. Do not try to enter their internet interactions by posting comments or opinions.
Warning Signs
Act immediately, compassionately, and decisively if you observe any of the following warning signs.
- Increasing time spent on online activities.
- Excessive secrecy about online activities (e.g., password protected screen or shutting off the screen at your approach)
- Unexplained phone calls or gifts received from strangers or unknown “friends”.
- Unexplained increases in your credit card charges or telephone bills.
- Missing school and deteriorating academic performance
- Noticeable negative changes in behavior and personality
- Noticeable changes in sleep or appetite.
A final word of advice
Consciously remain involved in your children’s online experiences but without being intrusive. You encourage them to enjoy the internet’s full potential as an educator and entertainer but also clearly explain the lurking online dangers. Most importantly, make children aware that when it comes to choose between the virtual cyber world and the real people’s world, their priority should always be the real thing. In the above discussion, we clearly discussed about ” Internet Safety“.