THE PROS AND CONS OF EARLY EXPOSURE OF CHILDREN TO THE INTERNET

Children born in the digital age have certain exposures that previous generations did not: their digital footprint is already staged for them before they can construct it themselves. Although the long-term repercussions of this constant sharing are unknown, legislators and regulators around the world have adopted it. They continue to update data protection guidelines and restrictions that could protect the safety and privacy of persons worldwide, including children.

Many parents and instructors are faced with the question of “how young is too young to expose kids to the internet?” in the age of worldwide socialisation and widespread globalisation. Tech literacy is an important skill that children are motivated to learn from a young age. Many experts advocate for early computer exposure to help youngsters prepare for school.

The degree of early exposure that is healthy is determined by several parameters. Cutting off children’s access to the internet is not thought to be the healthiest option. Denial of use may be excessive because the internet interface provides children and teenagers with unique chances to stay connected and socialise with friends. On the other hand, parents and instructors must provide youngsters with guidelines on Internet safety, civility, and proper usage.

The fears of early exposure of children to the internet are pronounced, take for instance; We don’t know how a child would comprehend stuff that is unfamiliar to their parents. They could watch a fast-food commercial one minute and then something different the next. Someone could be talking about making the world a more beautiful place one minute and a terrorist explosion the next. How does a young, easily manipulated child make logical sense of such an utterly chaotic situation?

Children have been permitted to use such devices since they were very young, and this is how they pass their time instead of playing outside and meeting friends through activities like sports. You can observe how older kids are interested in computer games, some of which may be violent. Some of them are exposed to extremist viewpoints; they are only given one side of an issue’s story, and their beliefs are moulded by these influences as they grow up.

Simultaneously, technology and the constant use of the internet may limit interaction between family and friends, as well as the opportunity for young people to develop real-life social networking skills and form friendships outside of their immediate group. Some children, for example, may turn on their computers and spend the entire day doing Internet-related activities like blogging, gaming, watching YouTube, and living in the virtual world.

One reason parents and educators should introduce children to technology at a young age is to offer them a competitive advantage in today’s information-driven world. This has value, but parents and teachers must also educate their children on how to live a balanced existence away from the digital world.

Undeniably, more children use technology such as tablets, laptops, smartphones, gaming devices, and other devices to access the internet, and it’s only natural to wonder whether this is beneficial or dangerous for young children. To assist parents in making this decision, I’ve compiled a summary of the pros and cons of exposing young children to the internet.

 

PROS

• Enhances fundamental skills, including reading and writing. There is a lot of software out there that can assist parents in teaching their children to read and write. There are many tools and websites available to parents who need to get ideas for teaching basic skills to their children. For this purpose, there are additional apps and software that may be installed onto the child’s portable device.

 

• It aids in increasing children’s motivation and desire to succeed. This is because a plethora of computer games and programs are designed to motivate children to complete chores, unlock stages, and win games. Learning video games can help children learn about resilience and overcoming hurdles. This can be used in or outside computer games to simulate real-life situations.

 

• Parents are frequently amazed by the internet’s ease of contact and establishment of friendships and ties. Social networking can be an effective tool for assisting youngsters with social adjustment. Children can interact with others from the comfort of their own homes, providing a springboard to in-person encounters. Friendships formed on social media are frequently those that began as online pals from the same school or town. These pals may become good companions in the future.

CONS

• It’s possible that they’ll be able to access improper content such as violence, pornography, and other offensive material. When these are distributed to other youngsters, the problem becomes even worse.
• Children’s senses are still developing; as a result, they have poor judgment and may engage in inappropriate behaviour or, worse, become involved in criminal activity. They could, for example, become addicted to internet gambling, learn about hacking, download unlawful content, and so on.
• There is the risk of a child eventually evolving into a socially isolated adolescent who can socialise well online but has social anxiety when confronted with face-to-face engagement.
• In terms of health, gazing at a screen on an electronic device for too long might cause bad vision. Children as young as ten years old have unfortunately been diagnosed with visual impairments and are offered compulsory prescription eyeglasses. This isn’t necessarily due to a hereditary problem. It is frequently caused by excessive use of electronic devices.

CONCLUSION

The undeniable wave of the future is the use of the internet. This new way of interacting has a number of beneficial and negative repercussions. The best way to assist youngsters in navigating this new environment is to deny it neither nor allow them to get overwhelmed by it. A healthy balance between a young person’s academic, social, and physical development should be achieved. Teachers and parents should encourage children to engage in physical activity away from the computer screen in order to help them attain this healthy balance.

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