Internet access can be good, bad experience for kids
How did we survive without the internet?
One in five adults is now online - surfing the net, buying books, or interacting in chat rooms - with that number increasing monthly.
Two out of three kids between the ages of 12 and 19 actively surf the Web, too. Our children aren't Baby Boomers or Generation Xers. The kids growing up now can truly be called the Net Generation.
Is this great or what?
Well, let's consider this. Most new advances are mixed blessings with positive and negative aspects.
Think of the good the Internet brings to our children:
Some recent surveys show increased time on the Web means decreased time in front of the TV.
Since most children learn how to use the Internet at school, many schools have policies about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior while surfing the Web.
A recent study indicated increased time using the Internet was related to improved school grades.
Use of the Web provides many more opportunities for young people to find information valuable for learning at school.
On the other hand, there is a down-side. The negatives of Web use by kids include:
Recent research show increased time on the Internet leads to decreased sleep.
Other studies suggest more time online results in more online friends, but fewer real-life friends.
Only about a third of all schools use software that stops children from visiting unacceptable Web sites.
Studies recently looked into exactly which Web sites yong people were visiting in their surfing. Entertainment and sports sites headed the lists.
Teens spend about three hours daily on the Web.
A White House survey found 42 percent of parents supervised their children's online experience only a little, but 54 percent did not surpervise at all.
As a parent, you can probably see that, like television and video games, the Web has a marvelous side for gathering information, interacting with people in far-flung places, and cummunicating with friends rapidly. But you can also probably see that it has a disturbing quality as well.
Many parents feel helpless in trying to spend more time in relationships with their children. Between TV and the Internet, there may be precious time left for parents. You may also feel intimidated by the computer and your lack of technological sophistication, which keeps you from effectively supervising what your kids are doing on the Net those three hours every day.
The Internet is a major force in our kids' lives and it isn't going away. It's important you become savvy about the Net so you can monitor what your child is doing and so you can learn how to install filtering software.
In addition, go in chat rooms and find out what your child is talking about and with whom. And put limits on the time spent on the Web.
Fortunately, this will mean talking with your child and maybe holding a family discussion about limits and rules. That sounds far more interesting than a lot of chat rooms I know kids use.