The Internet is Bad for Children

Imagine a place where children can explore anything they want, but no one is watching to keep them safe. That place is called the Internet. In this era, the internet is everything, used by millions of people from adults to children. Many kids need the internet to do schoolwork, play games, and communicate with friends and others. It offers a world full of knowledge and entertainment. However, even though the Internet has benefits, it can also bring harm, especially to children. Those young people are still learning how to understand the world around them, and the internet can have a bad influence on them. We can't deny that the internet also has some good sides to it, but it brings more harm than good because it can show inappropriate content, create bad habits, and affect their mental and social development.

Now, one of the biggest problems is that the internet can show children harmful content, as the internet is full of unfiltered material. Not like TV shows or books that are made for kids, and the purpose of it is different. Children can accidentally find some violent, scary, or sexual videos. Study by Valkenburg and Soeters (2001) found that 24.7% of children reported experiencing adverse events on the internet. They had seen bad things online, such as violence and pornography. These experiences can be disturbing and harmful, those things can be hard to forget. Since kids are still growing and learning, it can show some confusion, fear, or even emotional problems. The Internet is simply too open for those young kids who are still in the process of learning and growing, they are not able to decide which things that are good and which things that are bad.

Besides harmful content, another problem is that children often have bad habits from using the internet too much. Many kids spend their time on online games, social media or videos such as Youtube. This is making them not want to do things they are supposed to be doing like, do their homework, sleep, physical activity, and time with family. Study found by Wang and Cheng (2021) found that poor time management was a common issue with children who used internet often. When children can't control the amount of time for using the internet, they can become addicted or lazy to do anything. This makes it harder to focus in school, build social skills, and enjoy things outside. Even though some studies say that the internet can help children for reading and learning, the negative effects of the internet are too much stronger for the children.

Some people may think that parents just can stop these problems by watching what their children do online. But some things are easier said than done. Study by Livingstone et al. (2017) showed that parents use different methods to control internet use. Some parents allow their children to explore the internet freely, while others use strict rules for their children. Both styles have their own disadvantages. Too much freedom for kids increases risk, but too many strict rules can limit their learning and make children feel left out. Even when parents try their best to protect their children, the internet is still full of danger, and no method can do 100% to protect children.

In conclusion, the internet bring more harmful than good for children. It allows them to see things they're not supposed to see, creates bad habits, and it cannot always be controlled by the parents. The internet may seem like a helpful tool especially for us who already understand how to use the internet for a good use, but it can also become a double edged sword for the children. To protect children from these dangers, it is important that parents, school and society work together to limit internet use and make sure it is used safely by children. That way children can enjoy the benefits of the internet.