Sandil 1 Diana Sandil Gango-2 13 December 2013 The Benefits of Having the Internet for Children With the

advancements in technology, information that children never had access to before and people whom they have never met are at their fingertips (Beard). The Internet holds a massive amount of information that can help with any question and contains several social networking sites that help people communicate with one another. Most schools have implemented the use of the internet to their educational curriculum to further expand the sphere of knowledge available for students. Older generations are often discouraging younger people from becoming overly attached to the internet because it could affect their physical being and work habits overall. Contrary to these beliefs however, the internet still serves many benefits for children; benefits tied in with their communication skills worldwide, their mental and emotional health, and most importantly their education. The computer network that became the Internet was invented in the 1960s to solve a problem in military research in the United States (Graham 4). The people who developed the internet, however, did not anticipate hundreds of millions of people all over the world to be using it. Originally, the internet served as a useful tool for scientists, and gradually became possible for the general public to use it by linking a computer to a telephone line (Graham 5). The Internets main purpose was for entertainment and luxury, but gradually, it became an essential part of the common peoples everyday lives. There are currently ten million web sites worldwide, and each web page is connected to one another by the use of hyperlinks. Anything that involves

Sandil 2 exchanging information between people, such as online purchases, communication, or work projects, can now be done online (Graham 6). Moreover, the internet has played roles in communication and being to interact with others. Since the internet contains multiple social networks and email sites, it is easier to communicate with family members from other places in the world. [A study] has shown that 74% of teenagers use instant messaging as a major communication tool compared to 44% of online adults (Oblinger). There have also been some surveys about what children and teenagers use on the internet. [They have found that] these children and teenagers are at least online for 3 hours a week or more, about 16% use email, 25% for instant messaging and 16% for chat activities (Jackson, Eye, & Biocca). As a result, the internet has become a major tool for means of communication and interaction between children and teens globally. In the past, communication between others was fairly difficult, due to the lack of technology; most people had to send letters or travel to be able to communicate to the one they wished to contact. During these times, travelling could be expensive, and letters may take several weeks. For the Lai family, Abbys parents grew up in the era where technology was first in development, and her family came from the Philippines to America. Her mother had difficulty staying in contact with her relatives because there was no technology that connected overseas, and communicating by letters tested patience. The use of the internet and her e-mail today, helps her keep in contact with her family that is in the Philippines. Communication through the internet doesn't just stop at family however. In addition to that, communication by means of the internet has proved to be useful in the education system by allowing students the capability to ask questions or submit work with ease. Most teachers have made an email address or their own class website for work and classes so that any student may

Sandil 3 contact them. [A study] has shown that 41% of teenagers indicate they use email and instant messaging to contact teachers or schoolmates about class work (Oblinger). Furthermore, most children in this day and age rely on the internet to express their emotions. The newer generation of children is subject to more pressures of society than previous generations, which consequently results in a larger group of introverted children. These introverted children struggle with understanding what is wanted from them, what is right, what is wrong; thus limiting what they can say in front of people with higher authority than themselves. The internet is a huge outlet for introverted children to connect with one another as well as pushes them out of their comfort zone to gradually assimilate themselves into the society they once felt pushed away from. More importantly however, the internet is not just an outlet for communication; it is an escape from the stress they may go through before their assimilation process is complete. [A study] has shown that about 54% of children have created blogging sites in order to release their inner feelings (Byron). Children who create blogs often times find that conveying their emotions online gives them a sense of self-satisfaction. They also come to terms with conflicts from their inner selves as they realize that they may not by the only ones dealing with such emotions. By letting out their emotions and receiving understanding, online or in real life, children lessen the mental and emotional strain they go through if they had not opened up otherwise (Byron). Lastly, the Internet has benefitted children when it comes to their education. Most students are informal learners; they seek information on numerous topics. [The Web has] limitless sources of information on every imaginable subject, so it is very useful for researching topics for school homework and projects (Graham 26). The UK Children Go Online study has monitored how long children have been using the internet both daily and weekly (Boffey). The

Sandil 4 study has found that 67% of children use the internet for homework. Before the internet was created, most people would look up words in the dictionary, read encyclopedias on specific topics, and check out multiple books to gather data. In modern day, most of the facts that children need may be found online, however, children still need to be able to distinguish on what web sites are reliable sources. Some examples of a reliable internet source could be an encyclopedia, an official university or well-known news organizations. Children can also challenge themselves by interacting with the unlimited games, quizzes and puzzles online. The types of challenges children can find vary from educational to games based on their favorite television show. Most parents have found that the games teacher have shown to their child have benefitted their academic school work and their memorization (Byron). The Web also helps expand childrens learning because they become more exposed to broader topics not in their area. With the internet, it is technically possible for a teacher to teach a class of children who never leave home (Graham 26). Some subjects that could be taught or seen with the internet could possibly be colleges, businesses, museums, different types of art and more. The internet helps teachers this way because teachers are supposed to know a vast amount of information and have the skills and knowledge to teach it to their students, but if they forget, they can always rely back on to the web. In addition, children could be linked to school videos, sounds and links pertaining to what they are learning about, and this could help them understand the topic more. [An article has shown] that students with speech or language difficulties can use the Internet as an opportunity for them to use their language to share information that others can understand (Beard).

Sandil 5 The internet, which originated for the sole use of scientific advances, is now being used globally by children of all ages. By allowing children to be exposed to the internet at an early age helps provide them with the opportunity to further their mental and emotional development, as well as their education and communication skills; an opportunity that was very limited to the children of previous generations. Although there could potentially be harmful or inappropriate content for children, there are several precautions and methods of preventing that from happening. The internet is still evolving, with tools to help advance everyday life for the common man, and if children are able to acquire access to this growing advancement, they will be able to open new doors for their future.

Sandil 6 Works Cited Beard, Marisa. Internet Offers Benefits to Children and Classroom Teachers. Western Illinois University. N.p. N.d. Web. 13 December 2013 Boffey, Daniel. Children With Internet Access at Home Gain Advantage, Charity Says. Theguardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. 21 May 2011. Web. 13 December 2013. Byron, Tanya. Safer Children in a Digital World. DCSF Publications. March 2008. Scholarly Journal. Byron Review Children and New Technology. 13 December 2013. Graham, Ian. The Internet The Impact On Our Lives. Austin, Texas: Steck-Vaughn Company, 2001. Print. Jackson, Linda A., Alexander vo Eye, and Frank Biocca. Children and Internet Use: Social, Psychological and Academic Consequences for Low-income Children. American Psychological Association. December 2003. American Psychological Association. Web. 13 December 2013. Lai, Abby. Email Interview. 13 December 2013 Oblinger, Diana and James Oblinger. Is It Age or IT: First Steps Toward Understanding The Net Generation. Educause. N.d. Web. 13 December 2013