Fransiska Katanga
We love being on our laptops, smartphones and iPads, and the internet is the big reason behind spending so much time on these gadgets. Through the internet, people can share information and communicate from anywhere. In today’s world, it is now easier than ever to have access to the internet, whether you are using a phone, computer or tablet. There is no doubt that many young people are spending more time online, with both positive and negative consequences.
One of the advantages of the internet is that young people can obtain knowledge and the latest news from different areas so that they can expand their horizons by just searching various information – you just need to input some keywords, and you can get millions of information pieces from the internet. Also, young people can do their research for their school work, and this often helps young people to widen their knowledge and improve their grades. Another aspect of the internet is that people can practice foreign languages by chatting to friends in other countries. This is also a good way of keeping in touch with friends and family around the world.
The other advantage is doing shopping online. Shopping on the internet has become popular for young people because it is really convenient to buy various products without walking long distances to a shopping mall. Books, clothes, food, even strange and interesting products, can be found on the internet. All you need to do is click the mouse, wait for a few days, and pay on ATM or in convenience stores. Shopping on the internet can be very fast and simple for young people to buy what they need, especially when they do not have much time for shopping.
On the other hand, there are also negative consequences of the internet. It can be extremely addictive to young people. They could spend too much time on the internet, neglecting their studies. There are so much entertainment options on the internet that can make a young person, who is in school, distracted from their studies. For example, students could play online games or take videos and pictures and post on Instagram or TikTok prior to an examination when they should spend time studying. This could affect a student’s academic performance. Also, excessive internet use can mean some young people hardly talk to their families because they are always on the computer. The internet can cause young people to become victims of cyberbullying as well as negative comments, harassment, threats, humiliation and torture, which can lead to depression.
While using the internet, you could be exposed to various forms of vulgarities such as violence and pornography, while some online games involve lots of violence that can be disturbing to children. Therefore, teenagers could be exposed to such content affecting their mental health.
Young people need to use a computer or a smartphone to access the internet, but using the smart devices for a prolonged period of time could contribute to various physical problems such as neck pain, back pain and eye pain, particularly through the light emitted by the smart devices that causes numerous eye problems.
To sum it up, spending time on the internet can have a negative impact on young people, but it also has advantages. The internet is an incredible tool; however, young people should be careful not to use it excessively, and to always open up to their parents if they see something they don’t like on the internet. It is also very important as a young person to educate yourself on how to use the internet in a good way; you should know the pros and cons of the internet. Do some research before you start using the internet.
* Fransiska Katanga is a post-graduate student in education (PGDEDU) at the International University of Management (IUM).