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The risks of children and young people on the internet
Consequences and risks of young people using the internet
The risks of children and young people on the internet
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In 2010, 57% of kids used the internet at home, and 85% had access to a computer at home (Child Trends, 2012). In 2012, the National Consumers League reported that 32% of children ages 8-10 and 69% of 11 and 12 year olds had their own cell phone. Of these, almost 50% could access the internet through their phone.
In addition, children have access to everything on the internet at the touch of a button through newer technology, such as the iPad, iPad mini, mp3 players, and iPod Touch. And with devices like the iPod, parents may only think about it as a music device and not realize that they are opening the whole internet to their child.
It is estimated that there are about 5.6 million Facebook accounts that are used by children 12 and under, and this is only one social networking site.
Parents and school personnel need to be knowledgeable and ready to instruct children on the best and safest way to use and benefit from the internet.
Benefits of Social Networking for Peer Relationships
Research has shown many positives and negatives of social networking for children in the 9-12 age group. For those who have heard mainly about the risks and challenges, it may be surprising to learn there are many benefits social networking sites can add to social development. The following are some examples researchers have reported:
Social Networking can help children
1. who may be isolated in their own community, such as those who have interests beyond
what is available locally or who have a disability that limits physical contact with peers,
find compatible peers and build an otherwise unavailable sense of community (Steward,
Barnfather, Magill-Evans, Ray, & Letourneau, 2011)
2. who are “only children” o...
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...& Letourneau, N. (2011). Brief report: An online support intervention: Perceptions of adolescents with physical disabilities. Journal of Adolescence,
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Subrahmanyam, K. & Greenfield, P. (2008).Online communication and adolescent relationships.The Future of Children, 18(1), 119-146.
Valkenburg, P.M. & Peter, J. (2007).Preadolescents’ and adolescents’ online communication and their closeness to friends. Journal of Developmental Psychology, 43(2), 267-277.
Valkenburg, P.M., Peter, J., & Schouten, A.P. (2006).Friend networking sites and their relationship to adolescents' well-being and social self-esteem.Journal of CyberPsychology and Behavior, 9(5), 584-590.
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Author: Jessica Krier
Staples’ Article “What Adolescents miss when we let them grow up in cyberspace” explains how children are constantly living their lives through cyberspace such as email, chatroom, and instant messages, causing them to “miss” essential real-life social development skills when they grow up in “cyberspace” that would be vital to them when they enter adulthood. There are many examples, however the three most significant examples that support this idea is: Research is supporting that continuous use of cyberspace is isolating young socially connected people;Staples uses Prof.Robert Kraut a researcher at Carnegie Mellon university idea that people let real-world relationship get replaced by the ones made in cyberspace; and Staples’
Staple’s study indicates that adolescents are in isolation when socializing via internet. Socializing through social media comes with a cost, such as lack of physical interactions with friends and loved ones. The author finds communicating with technology can effect a family and other relationships. The lack of adolescent’s social skills starts with the inability to experience person-to-person conversations. Person-to-person conversations give children the ability to hear, and see, contrasting socializing via internet.
Kids now want to be more independent and have more freedom which might scare some if not most parents. A lot of parents look at the internet as a dangerous tool and not a tool where their kids can have some freedom. Although parents need to realize that they can’t protect their kids from all ...
Online networking is the explanation behind large portions of the world's issues and arrangements. It can be utilized to bring issues to light for a critical reason, however it can likewise be utilized to spread scorn, particularly between young people. Being a teen, I can be the first to say that online networking is the way most adolescents run their life, however is it the right way? Austen McCann makes a splendid point in his article, "Online networking has permitted them to take their life online and as opposed to stating farewell to companions at school and holding up to see them the following day..."Although online networking can join adolescents to the world and loved ones around them, it is really one of the most elevated positioning
Various electronics are frequently used to go on pointless websites, such as Twitter and Facebook, which ruin society’s social abilities. More and more people use social media on the internet as a communication source. This does not apply merely to kids and teens, but adults as well. Using these sorts of websites as a way of communicating causes many individuals’ social skills to decrease. A plethora of children and teens would rather stay inside and interact with their friends through the internet than go hang out with them. Before technology people were not afraid to go up to a random person and talk to them. Now many friendships form through the internet and these friendships are not genuine. When these “friends” meet in person, they find nothing to talk about. For example, I remember after watching Perks of being a Wallflower, a movie taking place in the early nineties, my friends and I discussed how all the characters communicated in person and during hanging out they played games and talked. Now...
Digital communication is impairing young users from having real life conversations. For example, in the article “Teens Have A Smart Reason For Abandoning Facebook And Twitter,” the author, Felicity Duncan, reports “If college students spend most of their media time on group text and
I find it disconcerting that teens live much of their lives in a virtual society. “Growing Up Online”, barely scratches the surface of the breadth and depth to which technology permeates modern society. Teens continue to struggle for independence and self-identification, but with less face-to-face interaction than in the past. Many view e-communication as reaching out to the masses.
This report describes the impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. The author, O’Keeffe presents that the benefits of children and adolescents using social media; he also presents the rise of youth using social media. A few examples of the benefits include: growth of ideas, expansion of one’s online connection, and enhancement of individual and collective creativity. Some examples of the risk include: cyberbullying and online harassment, sexting, and Facebook
Almost every child between the ages of eight and twelve are getting cell phones. The average home in America has as many televisions as they do people. Only 20% of American homes do not have a computer. Technology is quickly becoming a new way of life. The amount of time people are on their devices is growing rapidly. According to The Huffington Post, people are on their devices for on average about eleven hours and fifty-two minutes a day. That is almost half a day and a lot longer than most people sleep or work. People have not realized yet how they or their families are being affected by this constant use of technology. As a result of technology increasing, children are experiencing health problems, school issues, and social problems.
It is known that youth are positively affected with the benefits of social media in connection with positive behavioral outcomes. Several studies have mentioned a number of benefits that a youth receives out from being a social media user. Furthermore, the youth uses Social Networking Sites to make their own profiles and connect to even wider networks of friends (Ahn, 2011)
Supporters of social networking sites say that the online communities promote increased interaction with friends and family; offer teachers, librarians, and students valuable access to educational support and materials. Social networks are now widespread in our world with existing social networks expanding, social networking sites are being created for educators, medical professionals all accessible 24 hours a day via computer, tablet, smart phone, and Internet-enabled devices. Challengers of social networking say that the sites prevent face-to-face communication, waste time on frivolous activity and spread false and potentially dangerous information.
Kids using cell phones and other tablets are becoming more and more distant from their parents, for the simple fact that the Kids are on the tablets/phones more often than they are with their parents, and as a child you need to bond with your parents and not a tablet/phone. Kids are becoming so used to playing on tablets/phones that they are not going outside and enjoying life as kids did when there was not technology.
If you are constantly using online communication it makes it harder for you to deal with conflicts face to face. A study shows that adolescents who frequently spent time on social media struggled to resolve conflict with their parents. (Drussell, J., 2014) This can bring about a lot of isolation and sadness, as their communication skills weaken. The form of touch and presence is a vital need that needs to be fulfilled for humans to be satisfied and that is why we turn to social media to satisfy our cravings of love and attention. Social media’s affects on communication among humans have replaced the sense of connectivity, changing how we deal with relationships. “Relationships are replying more and more on technology to mediate and nurture the and people are unable to pursue real life relationships because they fear failure (Giovanni,
“The Effects of Social Network Sites on Adolescents’ Social and Academic Development: Current Issues and Controversies.” Journal of the American Society for the Science and Technology, 62(8): 1435-1445. Web. 2011.
Internet is a network that virtually connects computers around the world. It has an address network which makes communication possible between the computers. It is an open phone line and an open television channel to millions of people around the world who can communicate anonymously (Palmer, 2006). People use it to exchange files and e-mails, to surf the World Wide Web, to download songs or other types of files, to take part of discussion boards, and to send instant messages. It can be beneficial when it comes to freedom of press, and less disintermediation between people (Palmer, 2006). It can also be of assistance when it comes to doing some kind of research, finding some specific information about any topic, or even getting an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree when it comes to busy people who want to expand their horizons. However, internet has many risks in contrast to its benefits and it should not be used by children without adult supervision and parental control.