CHILDREN AND THE INTERNET

Are your children Internet addicts? At present, the Internet has become a very popular resource, especially for children. Children believe that everything they see on the Internet is factual information. Today the Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks in which users at any computer can get information from any other computer (Whatis, 2006). According to Whatis (2006), the Advance Research Project Agency (ARPA) of the US government (1996), “the original aim was to create a network that allowed users of a research computer at one university to be able to talk to research computers at other universities”. Nowadays, “the Internet is a public, cooperative, and self- sustaining facility accessible to hundreds of millions of the currently existing public telecommunication networks” (2006, p. 1). In fact, the Internet is becoming more popular every day. The internet also plays an important role in people’s lives, but it should be restricted among children whose ages range between 6 and 12 years old because children become addicted to the internet use, they can experience pornography online and they can also experience violent games that can cause a negative effect in their lives.

In the present day, children have used the interne for their homework, hobbies and other recreation forms. The Internet is a powerful resource that offers children a variety of activities, which lead children to become addicted. Among the list of activities have been e-mail addiction, web addiction, online pornography addiction and video game addiction. For instance, my little brother, who is just 10 years old, likes spending hours on the net, supposedly doing homework. Now, he likes spending 7 hours using the net. When my mother does not give him money to go the Internet service “ Cyber café” he gets angry and his behavior is unpleasant. In my brother’s case, the Internet has replaced many things he used to do and what began as using the net correctly became addiction. Another vivid example of how people are becoming addicted is a friend of mine who met a woman and started chatting her without knowing her. After chatting for nine months consecutively, the lady decided to say good-bye to my friend, who is still getting over that love disillusion. My friend was desperate and wanted to spend the whole day chatting with someone. As a result of his addiction, he lost his year of class and began drinking beer. Some psychiatrists label the use of certain technologies as addiction (Masnick, 2008). The Internet is a powerful resource that you don’t even notice when you become addicted to the use of it. Many people become dependent of the net and can’t live without it, particularly children. In cases like the above-mentioned, parents play an important role, because they have to explain to children that the Internet is a good resource, but they have to have a good balance in the use. By using reasonable boundaries on the use of the net we can help children to create a good habit and balance over the net use (Middlewood, 2008). For example, set a daily or weekly time limit. Two hours a day would be a great idea. He might have one hour to do homework and 1 hour to play or to do something else. Parents can also put a special schedule of Internet use on the wall. Always try to position computers close to you, so that you can monitor your children’s work and use as well. The amount of time of the Internet use has to be decided according to the age and the developmental stage of children. Another strategy is to negotiate bonus time when children use the Internet appropriately. Give bonus time to your children every time they use the net suitably. By doing this, you are teaching your children to have good balance over the Internet as well encouraging them to have a better control over technology.

Beside Internet addiction, the Internet has become a very useful tool for pedophiles and sexual predators as they distribute child pornography, and engage in sexually explicit conversations with children. For example, many children who are 6 to 12 years old know much or maybe nothing about sex. Suddenly, when using the net they can see some disturbing images. These images can awaken up their curiosity of what sex is, by leading them to trying to have sex with other children or by accepting love appointments with people on the net. According to one study (Rice, 1998), early exposure (under fourteen years old of age) to pornography is related to greater involvement in deviant sexual practice, particularly rape. The study reported that 53% of child molesters deliberately used the stimuli of pornography (Rice, 1998). In another study of convicted child molesters (Rice, 1998), 77% of those who molested girls admitted to having the habitual use of pornography. For example, some children can use pornographic pictures to show their victims what they will do. In my city, one student whose age was 7 years old was trying to rape a little girl whose age was 8 years old by using some pictures he got from the net.
Most parents find it difficult to talk to their children about sex in general. Parents have to protect their children’s innocence and purity by sitting with them while they are using the Internet and chatting with them about the two sides of the Internet. Talking about sex openly is one of the ways to help children to be aware of the current situation. Times have changed, and if parents do not do it, sooner or later they will find about it from someone else or by friends. Children have to be told by parents not to give their names, fill questionnaires, or send images of themselves because they might be used for other purposes. Parents have to encourage their children to report any particular suspicious act on the net or any person who offers or tries to do something abnormal. Using filters or blocking software helps keep track of what is going on. Filters or blocking software is the name used for programs that can be installed in your computer to control the information that is displayed or accessed by your children. Using filters minimizes the violent material, sexual material and chat lines. With filters children will not have access to much information and just information that is appropriate for their ages. Schools play an important role in children’s lives because they spend most of their time at school. This is a good opportunity for teachers to explain to the students that pornography and virtual pornography have many disadvantages for their lives because they have been associated with sexual abuse and many dramatic effects.

On the other hand, videos games are also substituting for homework and children’s hobbies. According to Dough (2007), the Federal Court in California states that video games should be labeled depending on the content and should not be sold or displayed on the net to minors. Many children become aggressive because of the violent games they play on. Legislators are cited the article “violent video game effects on children and adolescent” (Anderson, 2007), arguing that violence in video games could lead to psychological harm and give way to violent and irrational behavior. For example, my neighbor, who is 10 years old, tried to kill his little brother by using some techniques seen on the video games. This is strong evidence that violence games contribute to aggressiveness and violent behavior. Children always tend to imitate what they see in the real life as well as the video games. When they fight against other children at school, there is a strong possibility that they will use fighting techniques used in the videos games. Parents have to determine the appropriate video games installed on the computer or watched on the net. Children have to understand that video games are fictitious and have nothing to do with real life. According to Anderson Craig and Buckley (2007), the exposure to violent games and other forms of media violence constitutes a significant risk factor for later aggressive and violent behavior. Children have to play videos that give healthy entertainment and happiness, but try to avoid to media violence.

According to Schwartz (2002), a law passed by Congress in December 2000 requiring schools and libraries to use filtering software changes the nature of libraries from being places that provide information to places that unconstitutionally restrict it. Those in favor of the filtering law say its opponents mischaracterize the law and the software. People have to understand that restricting the net to children is done to protect children against the different bad things that can be found on the net. Donna Rice Hughes is cited in the article as saying that she is an opponent who has supported mandatory filtering, she also said the law contained a tremendous amount of flexibility (Schwartz, 2002).
It is extremely necessary that parents talk to their children about the Internet openly. Parents have to explain to children that overusing the Internet might lead them to Internet addiction. Also children have to know that not everything on the net is factual information. Parents have to introduce their children to the Internet and teach them to have a good control over it. Technology can be a positive factor if is used appropriately.

In conclusion, parents have to be aware of what their children are doing on the internet because they might become internet addicted, experience pornography at an early age as well as experience violent games that might give them negative effects in their lives. Parents have to sit and talk to their children about the positive and negative side of the Internet by telling them that the Internet offers good resources and offers shocking information or pictures. By doing so, you are helping your children to be ready to face the new globalized world and to have a good communication between children and parents.

Anderson, C, Gentile, D. and Buckley (2007, January 6). Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescent. Department of Psychology Iowa State University. Retrieved on April 18, 2008, from www.psychology.iastate.edu

Dough, D. (2007, August 7). California Judge Wants Violent games for Minors. AfterDown News. Retrieved on April 20, 2008, from www.afterdown.com/news

Masnick, M. (2008, March 8). Children Become Addicted. Some Psychiatrists Prescribe Internet Addiction. Retrieved on April 6, 2008, from www.techdirt.com

Middlewood, E. (2008, March 27). Monitoring, Limiting Internet Use Keeps Kids Safer. Columbia Staff Writer. Retrieved on April 16, 2008, from www.columbian.com

Rice, D. (1998, September 5). Pornography’s Progressive Pattern of Addiction. Protecting your Children in Cyberspace. Retrieved on April 7, 2008, from www.protectkids.com

Schwartz, J. (2005, March 25). Law Limiting Internet in Libraries. The New York Times. Retrieved on April 14, 2008,from www.query.nytimes.com

Whatis (2006, February 27). Internet Definition. The Technology Online Dictionary. Retrieved on April 10, 2008,from www.searchwindevelopment.techtarget.com