Introduction
Internet is a certain environment of functioning of an individual, which has the laws of formation of internal relations. In addition, it has its own unique set of factors that influence people’s psyche. The Internet forms groups of people based on shared interests, stimulating the development of interpersonal relationships. Due to it, one can acquire new skills and gain unique knowledge. However, because of the peculiarities of children’s psyche, the influence of the Internet on children can be harmful rather than beneficial. A huge role is played by the fact that the time spent online is often not controlled. Today’s children have problems with socialization and intellectual development because of the Internet.
Body
Modern kids are not running around the streets and yards, climbing trees, or chatting with each other, but sitting for hours staring at smartphones or tablets. Nearly all American teens have access to a smartphone, and about half of them are online most of the time (Tolar, 2020). These trends have a negative impact on the brain development of kids. Independent exploration of the outside world stimulates the development of independent thinking and helps the child make sense of his or her experiences. It also teaches kids to draw conclusions and plan their activities. When children’s brains interact with the Internet instead of their natural environment, they become disconnected from reality (Tolar, 2020). In addition, the Internet can give them the illusion of being an expert (Kardas & O’Brien, 2018). One click on a link and a person already knows how to cook a gourmet meal, write music or control a drone. However, human nature has not changed with the advent of the Internet, and it still takes time to learn these or those skills.
Children who use the Internet uncontrollably do not know how to assess the risks of the world around them adequately, have difficulty communicating, and are unable to empathize. As adults, they will face problems both in their careers and personal lives. Face-to-face communication time is steadily decreasing, indicating that children are socializing worse because of the Internet. The number of lonely people whose real friendships and love have been replaced by virtual relationships is growing (Morin, 2018). Children feel safe on the Internet, but actual communication makes them uncomfortable.
From a psychological point of view, a complete retreat into virtual reality leads to a loss of emotional empathy. If there is a proper balance between online and offline communication, then the Internet affects the psyche less. However, this is an ideal situation, and in the case of children, it is much more difficult for them to control their time online (Tolar, 2020). The world is becoming virtual, and the Internet is now the new reality. Modern people often lose the ability to engage in meaningful conversation. On the Internet, they do not have to immediately respond to the witty or offensive comments (Morin, 2018). They can think for some time and then respond or ignore the message altogether. This dramatically reduces the anxiety that is present in live communication because one can easily avoid an unpleasant conversation.
Conclusion
The Internet can rightly be attributed to the achievements of humanity, but its impact on the development of intelligence and socialization is ambiguous. Despite its benefits, it is apparent that it can harm people’s psyche and the brain. As it was revealed in this analysis, children are particularly susceptible to this influence. Maintaining a balance between online and offline time can help reduce the detrimental effects of the Internet on children’s intellectual development and socialization.
References
Kardas, M., & O’Brien, E. (2018). Research: Watching an expert do something makes you think you can do it too. Harvard Business Review.
Morin, A. (2018). Here’s why the internet has made us lonelier than ever. Inc.
Tolar, J. (2020). Is staying digitally connected causing your child to be disconnected. Parentology. Web.