Introduction
Violent videos, porn, cybercrimes, bullying, and online video games are among the subjects children are exposed to whenever they use the internet. Every day, the internet continues to develop, and the content available expands at breakneck speed, making it available to family members. A few decades ago, the whole world cheered the development of the internet, as they believed it would enhance connectivity across the globe.
Discussion
Such advancements would make it easier for businesses to grow and accelerate the rate at which the world developed because aspects like outsourcing would be simple. As society was enjoying the benefits linked to the development of the internet, it was slowly failing as parents exposed their children to technologies that would affect their mental health. Every day, more than one in every three children is exposed to the adverse effects of the internet, requiring society to band together to develop mechanisms to regulate the effects of the internet on children.
Children often use the internet to learn since almost all the information is available there. The freedom parents give their children whenever they use the internet exposes them to aspects such as bullying, porn, and violent video games. Children’s interaction with such elements has a substantial psychological impact because it makes them aggressive due to the happenings; they learn different video games (Kang & Cha, 2022). Others develop phobias, feelings of isolation, and low self-esteem as they are bullied and made to feel that they are not good enough for society, leading them to develop suicidal thoughts.
In addition, the internet has become a great companion for most kids. Parents have become reluctant to engage their children in creative activities that enhance social skills. Such aspects raise the question of why parenting in the internet age differs. Are the parents becoming so busy that they do not have time to interact with their children and know how they are faring? Has the internet provided a tool to keep children occupied so that parents feel safe that their children are no longer going to cause trouble outside? The internet is slowly degrading social skills, relationships, health, and children’s ability to focus (Kang & Cha, 2022).
Using aspects such as video games to keep children indoors denies them an excellent opportunity to become resourceful people in the future (Sari, 2019). Such elements will deny them the chance to interact with other children, making it hard for them to develop social skills. In addition, they will rarely engage in physical activities, which may pose significant health impacts, such as obesity.
It is time for society to face reality and understand that the internet has benefits and drawbacks. The use of the internet requires great care as it can affect anyone, irrespective of their age. Internet utilization requires prudence, especially among parents, to ensure that they limit the time children are given and the content accessed. The government should develop policies that support the development of gadgets meant explicitly for children whose content can be limited to only education (Sari, 2019). Until such standards are attained, people are risking the future of children.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the internet has led to tremendous challenges for children’s growth and behavior. It exposes them to aspects such as bullying, porn, cybercrimes, and violent video games, which have significant psychological impacts on them. In addition, internet use affects their social skills as they spend most of their time indoors and alone. They are likely to develop health problems such as obesity due to failure to engage in physical activities. Therefore, parents should check the content their children are exposed to and limit their time on the internet.
References
Kang, S., & Cha, Y. (2022). Analysis of mediating effects of parents smartphone overdependence on family cohesion and adaptability and children’s internet game addiction. Journal of Parent Education, 14(3), 63–81. Web.
Sari Gülşah. (2019). Handbook of Research on Children’s consumption of digital media. IGI Global.