Introduction
This paper has discussed the impact of the Internet on children. Children have been targeted for this study because they are more vulnerable to different effects than adults are. Furthermore, children go through different stages of development. Therefore, it is important to assess the impact of the Internet on them. The argument, which has been tested in this paper, is that does the Internet makes children smarter or social. In this paper, the impact of the Internet will be evaluated on the smartness and social activities of children (James 7). This essay argues that the use of Internet is positive for the intellectual capabilities of children but it has negative consequences for their social development.
Thesis Statement
The use of the Internet can make children smarter but reduces their social involvement.
Discussion
Internet is considered driving force in the modern society. The Internet has not only affected the social environment but also the economic and political environments. The role of the Internet is significant at all levels including schools, businesses, individuals, and governments. Shirky argues that the Internet’s impact on the society is very significant. It has affected individuals of all age groups including adults, children, and youngsters. The focus of this paper is on the impact of the Internet on children (Shirky 05).
There are different arguments, which are associated with the use of the Internet and its impact on children. James argues that the Internet has opened several new doors for children in terms of education and entertainment. Children can take advantage of the Internet by accessing advanced knowledge. The use of the Internet for doing homework’s and making projects can make students smarter (James 7). The use of the Internet can be utilized by educational institutions for impairing knowledge. From the Internet, students can access an immense amount of art, knowledge, and culture. The surge of globalization has greatly facilitated knowledge diffusion in the society. The use of the Internet can also promote creativity among students. The use of Internet by children, hence, can make positive contributions (James 7). These positive consequences of the Internet contribute towards making children smarter.
The impact of the Internet on children is at not only the academic level but also the social level. The increased availability of Internet has children has reduced the social activities of children and there has been an increase in the number of children who spend a large portion of their time on playing online games or on social media networks. This has resulted in a reduction in the engagement of students in different physical activities. The use of the Internet has become a part of the daily activities of children. The social networking websites have replaced the social activates of children (Shirky 05).
Children are in the stage of personality and social development. The increase for time spends by children on the Internet suggests that it is likely to affect their social, physical, and mental development (James 7). The influence of the Internet on children is associated with the educational or informational function (Packard 418). According to the proponents of the Internet, students can utilize it for the purpose of education and information. In this way, children can acquire a lot of information with the Internet (Packard 418). However, the arguments regarding the educational importance of Internet suggest that the information accessed by children is not limited to the educational information. Shaoguang also argues that there are various reasons due to which children can use the Internet such as the access of information, social networking, games, surfing websites, and others. The Internet does not include regulations, which guide children to access only ethical and moral information (Packard 418).
It is argued that the introduction of the Internet has affected social interactions of children not only at home but also outside the home (Packard 418). The social networking websites are used by children as the substitute for the actual interaction between people. This argument has also been supported by other studies. According to these arguments, the amount of time spent by children on the Internet has been increasing (James 7). This is a matter of concern because children are likely to endanger their daily activities in order to spend more time on online activities. It has been reported by researchers that after the school time, the large portion of children’s time is spent on daily activities. The daily activities of children include participating in sports, going out with friends, and others. However, with the advent of the Internet, children are likely to spend this time on the Internet (Shirky 05).
There is no denying the fact that the use of the Internet has facilitated information access for children as well as adults. However, it is essential to evaluate the social and psychological impact of the Internet (Packard 418). Despite the fact that the Internet is used as the medium for information exchange, it has heavily reduced the social involvement of children. The social involvement of children in terms of face of face communication has been reduced. Children have also reduced different social activities with their family members and friends. This suggests that the use of Internet is associated with a decline in social involvement of children (Locke 12). According to these arguments, the use of the Internet negatively affects the social development of children.
It is also argued that the Internet consumes so much time of children that they do not get enough time to participate in different social and community events. Before the Internet, television used to capture a large portion of their time. Hence, it can be argued that the television was the major force that declined the social activities of children outside their home Shirky 2).
It has been found out that more than 90 percent of American teenagers frequently use the internet to gather information for their homework. However, significant time is also spent on social media sites such as MySpace, Chartrooms, Facebook, Twitter and sending emails. There have been numerous concerns about the impact it has had on children, especially on their social skills. For example, the use of the internet and other electronic devices reduces the time children spend with their peers and parents (James 7). However, the social sites have enabled children to communicate with distant relatives, establish new friends, and retain communication with old friends. It encourages shy children out of their shell to communicate with people, which may have an impact on their ability to communicate with people physically (LiveFyre 03). Since the use of the Internet has facilitated the communication of children, they are less likely to meet their friends and relatives physically or engaged in physical communication (Tsunami 13).
The use of the internet by young people has the potential to improve their communication skills, equipping them to appreciate other people. They are also able to find intriguing information that they find difficult or embarrassing to ask other people. There have been questions about the psychological impact of children using internet such as effects on self-esteem and ability to cause depression. However, research has found that the internet does not affect children in terms of causing depression and low self-esteem. Rather, it has been found to improve visual and spatial skills, which are essential in learning and development (James 7). They also improve reading abilities, but there has been no significant change in their mathematical capabilities (Shirky 05).
Therefore, for children, the internet enables them to understand their topics more clearly through searching different sites on the same topic, expanding their understanding of different concepts and ideas learnt from the classroom (Packard 418). There have been numerous studies showing that there are many instances in which the internet makes people smarter, and children are not an exemption to these studies (Packard 418). The use of the internet has been found to improve the decision-making process and memory of people. This has been based on research findings that the use of the internet improves the brains, especially in the parts of the brain associated with complex reasoning.
Conclusion
Based on arguments presented in this paper, it can be concluded that the use of the Internet has made children smarter. It is because the use of the Internet allows them to access information and utilizes creative methods of pursuing education. However, on the other side, the excessive use of the Internet has reduced the social involvement of children. The time spent by children on different social activities has been reduced because of the use of social networking websites and online games.
Works Cited
James Robert Flynn. Are We Getting Smarter?: Rising IQ in the Twenty-First Century. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
LiveFyre. "Children and the Internet: Helpful or Damaging?" 2013. 4 November 2013 <http://storify.com/ttgabrish/children-and-the-internet-helpful-or-damaging>.
Locke, Susannah F. "New Neurological Evidence That the Internet Makes People Smarter." 19 October 2009. 4 Novemeber 2013 <http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/internet-makes-elders-smarter>.
Packard, Erika. "It's fun, but does it make you smarter? Researchers find a relationship between children's Internet use and academic performance." November 2007. 4 November 2013 <http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov07/itsfun.aspx>.
Shirky, Clay. "Does the Internet Make You Smarter?" 4 June 2010. The Wall Street Journal. 4 November 2013 <http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704020504575284973472694334>.
Tsunami. "Are children smarter because of the internet?" 14 August 2012. 4 November 2013 <http://ryutaro0322.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/are-children-smarter-because-of-the-internet/>.
