Advantages and Disadvantages of Children’s Use of Internet

Today children know how to use the internet, cell phone and know how to play video games. Technology is getting more advanced and children are becoming smarter. Children’s curiosity makes them want to know about everything, which is a good thing because this shows that children want to learn more with modern technology because it becomes natural to learn and understand easily.

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Childhood is about exploring and the internet changes the children’s learning and communication. From reading “How Technology Makes Kids Smarter”by Julie Ann, research has shown that children with access to computers early are more confident compared to the ones that used technology at a later age. The internet helps students work outside of their school and interact with others. It is important for students to have socializing skills because it helps them be more outgoing (Ann).
It is important for children to spend time with their friends and family because when they need a job, they need to learn to talk professionally, but they won’t know how. The internet can help, but it’s better to be opened minded and use the internet for a good cause. The internet is a fun environment, but it depends on how you use it because being smart and socialized is important as you get older.
The internet offers fast communication, for example, emails, chat services and social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and more. The networking sites offer socializing, but it shouldn’t be necessary that people and children use the internet for socializing purposes only. Communicating through electronics continue to expand and it makes opportunities for the future.The internet is everywhere and everything is done online, for example, shopping or finding information. Many children are offering help to the elders on how to use the internet. After understanding how to use the internet, information on anything they need can be found. It is easy to access information and that has made this generation smarter than the children from the previous generations(“Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?”).
The internet is never-ending and is available 24/7. All data are available and it is well structured to make it easy to understand, which satisfies the child’s desire for knowledge without a teacher. Research studies have shown that children who use the internet are smarter and sociable compared to those who don’t use internet services.
Technology has developed gradually since the last generation. Children are encouraged to use the internet for research because they understand it better and they can find detailed information on any topic. When they figure out how to use the search tools on the internet, they will be able to increase their knowledge on anything they want or need. Children today evolve fast and they are smarter than the children of the same age in the last generation and I believe that the internet is the cause of this.
Computer are the best way to study because they are full of information and it is convenient for students (Ann). The internet has everything the children need to know, for example, homework, tutoring, educational videos, “how-to” videos and instructions on things that are difficult for us. The internet has everything that children need to know for education. If children didn’t understand something in class, they can look it up on Google. There are many reliable sites that help children learn and prepare them for tests, for example, Khanacademy.org, which is a popular website for world-class education for anyone. At school, teachers recommend students to look over specific sites to learn from. This shows that children are becoming smarter because of the internet because the internet can help with education and to help children learn what is happening around the world. All school have a computer system that is used as a research device. The internet can answer questions for curious children, and they can search it easily.
Teachers encourage students to use reliable online sources to find information on topics. Many teachers also post online lessons that students can access during any time which is a new learning tool that was not used in previous generations. There are many children who are bored in school and do not work feel sophisticated or have an inspiration. From “Five Positive Effects of Technology on Education” William McCoy, children who use the internet have cognitive abilities, for example, logical problem solving. The internet has information that improves children’s learning, their knowledge and also their verbal skills. Positive effects technology has on education is by using it for research, globalization and being exposed to educational games. Many students replace their printed books with their laptop and download e-books, use the internet for research on topics they want to learn. The internetprovides knowledge, opportunities and it is a network to millions of businesses and schools. The internet has made a great effect on the youth by increasing their knowledge (McCoy).
Personally I have learned a lot from the internet and gaining knowledge from the internet depends on the child’s personality and the way they function. Some are idle and use it for sexual content while some kids would use it for learning and fun sites. It depends on the child and the parents should know their child and fix them if he/she has a problem. The children that use the internet for unimportant reasons shouldn’t ruin it for others by making the parents see only the negative part of the internet.
The internet has everything and it is so much easier to find information now. It is simpler to find information and it is made faster and more convenient. From reading “It’s fun, but does it make you smarter?” by Erica Packard, she explains how the internet is used by children every day and when researchers recorded the children’s internet use, results showed that they had higher reading test scores compared to the children who didn’t use the internet. Online reading is different from traditional reading by giving children confidence and being able to get help themselves. Packard explains the difference between internet and traditional academics by saying “What’s unique about the Internet as compared with traditional ways of developing academic performance skills is that it’s more of a fun environment. It’s a play tool. You can learn without any pain. Beneficial academic outcomes may just be a coincidental effect of having a good time.” (Packard). This shows that you can learn a lot from using internet information.
The opposing side is that children are not smarter or more socialized because of the internet. Information is out and parents worry that it is not a safe learning environment because there are blogs full of opinions and misinformation. Instead of children doing homework on a sheet of paper, they just Google the questions for the answer. The internet is nothing but an aid for those who cannot answer questions for themselves.
The internet causes laziness and it hasn’t made children smarter. The Internet provides knowledge, but children are usually playing video games instead. Even though the internet provides knowledge, doesn’t mean that people will use it. The internet gives children the chance to learn certain subjects that is free and easy to access, but they don’t use it. Being lazy is not smart and the internet doesn’t give a whole information, but basic knowledge.
Children become more dependent on the internet. Being smarter is not about learning information, it is the ability to face different challenges in different situations, which the internet is doing the opposite because it gives children an easy way to solve their problems. Children have become dependent on it which makes them slow and mindless. The internet has too many distraction and time is being wasted (Bator).
Children have easier access to knowledge but they are not retaining information because they feel as if it is not relevant to them. Having an easy access to get answer for any question they have leaves them lazy and lack of creativity by taking someone else’s answer instead of making their own determinations.
Having more information does not mean being smarter. Even though the internet has a great amount of information, it doesn’t mean that the children are smarter because of it. There are a lot of opportunities to waste time and chances to learn.
There are risks from socializing with strangers and criminals and the internet is responsible for changing the behavior of children, especially in the way they react and respond to their environment. Like television, the internet influences character of children.
Another opposing view is that children learn depends on how they use the internet. Many children are addicted to their electronic devices than playing outside and meeting people. There are also kids hanging out with each other, but they are on their phones texting instead of talking to each other. Children also become angry if they are going through a withdrawal from technology (Woollaston).
The internet is expanding and children should learn how to benefit from it. In this generation, young children already know how to use and understand the internet. It increases their learning experiences by using what were not accessible to the previous generations. Children should be encouraged to use the internet because it teaches us self-directed learning, online reading and comprehension skills. Children are smarter because of the internet and they understand it at a young age. The internet is everywhere and there is a quick adaptation to its use, for example, a two year old can take a cellphone and access the internet or get on a computer and play an online game. When technology becomes more advanced, children become smarter because their curiosity makes them search for information and understand topics. Developing online reading and comprehension skills is important because the internet is a part of our lives, and it will keep growing (Leu). Self-directed learning is when an individual manages their own learning activities by finding information about anything they want to learn more about online. When a student needs a lesson they learned in class clarified, they can use the internet because it has everything they need to know.