THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE INTERNET ON CHILDREN

The internet has become indispensible in the modern world. It is essential in business, at school, in politics, in short in every area you can imagine. This being the case, there is a computer and internet access in practically every home. Children growing up in modern households are, therefore, exposed to the internet very early in life. However, constant access to the internet impacts children in a negative way.

First of all, spending the majority of their time on the internet negatively impacts health. Constant inactivity makes the child gain weight, which is unhealthy. It also prevents muscle development and such children become weak. Physical activity is essential for healthy growth and lack of it can cause all kinds of developmental issues. Constantly staring at a screen is also bad for the eyes. The UV rays which are emitted by computers cause eye problems. This is why many of the young people are wearing glasses. Sitting in front of a screen also dries and irritates the eyes and is uncomfortable. In short, physical health is affected by continued internet use.

Second of all, spending too much time on the internet impacts psychological development. People are basically social creatures and live together in large communities. This being the case, they need to interact with each other. Staring at a screen all day is a solitary activity and it doesn’t help the child develop the social skills he needs. He doesn’t have enough face to face contact with friends; he doesn’t play with them and he doesn’t even speak to them much. He grows up to become awkward in society. In short, excessive time spent on the internet reduces a child’s social skills.

Lastly, spending too much time on the internet can expose children to actual danger. There are all manner of sites on the internet. Some of them are useful and harmless, others are dangerous and harmful. Kiddy porn, terrorist websites and various other sites can lead children astray. Predators on the internet are eager to entrap innocent children. Many children have become involved in all manner of harmful activities due to excessive use of the internet. In short, there are a lot of dangers lurking on the internet.

The society has no use for zombies. It needs individuals who will grow up to become useful members of society. Children who grow up cut off from the physical world and who don’t know how to interact with others are of little use to anyone. Therefore, parents should monitor and restrict the time children spend on the internet.