Should teenagers' access to the Internet be limited?

By Anusha

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses" - as quoted by Abraham Lincoln.

 

The world today cannot be imagined without the Internet. What impact it has on all aspects of life varies on a large scale. The question is whether this impact has always been positive or not. The very name "Internet" says that it is an interconnection of a huge number of computers, exchanging data. We cannot but appreciate the way it works!

Considering the fact that the data available online has no barriers, do we declare that it is safe to be used by all? Can people belonging all ages have access to the Internet?

Given the fact, that posting ads on different websites has become a rage these days, there are companies offering part-time jobs for students and people who cannot go out and work. What kind of an ad might pop up in which website is anybody's guess!

Also, there are some websites that look child-friendly, but they have links that lead to web pages that must be banned.

Well, many parents are aware of the ill-effects of the Internet usage. And hence, they chose to guide the children through, while dealing things on the Internet. This is fine, because the children who are guided are those who haven't reach the age of 13. They are fine with the rules and regulations. However, the teenagers with hormonal changes are the ones to be dealt with in a different manner. They want "freedom", they want to know things by themselves. And they are most likely to have an outburst if they were to have an adult lurking around while they were surfing or using the Internet.

Teenagers' access to the Internet

The teen phase is a tough one. Having been through this phase already, the parents and teachers must understand the teenagers' mind. They tend to do the opposite of what is asked not to do, and their level of curiosity is high. They want to know many things at a time and the easiest and most efficient ways to gather knowledge about things is to use the Internet.

Gaining knowledge is a very good thing, but the type of knowledge they gain must be looked into. Here is where the challenge lies. What are the websites they must be allowed to use? What are the websites that needs to be blocked? What content is good for them? What are their actives on the Internet? All these must be considered before they are provided with the access to the Internet. As Internet can be used for both good and bad things, it is up to the user to pick. It will be unfair to not let them use the Internet at all! They should be allowed to use it, but with limited access.

Teenagers must be educated about sensitive things in a suitable and better manner. This will avoid the need for them to go in search of the information they require, in an illegal manner. Educating teenagers about the pros and cons of Internet is also helpful. This will enable them to be aware of what they are doing and they will be able to take up responsibility if they were spoiling their own-self. Lots of softwares are available which filter the contents before presenting them on screen. Such softwares must be installed when a teenager or a child below 13 is using a computer.

These measures will help keep a tab on the children's activities and hence protect them from gaining unwanted and illegal information before they are ready to know it.

Do you agree with limiting the access to the Internet for teenagers or do you think otherwise? Share your opinion here: https://www.facebook.com/oneindiaeducation

You can read more education related news here

For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

--Or--
Select a Field of Study
Select a Course
Select UPSC Exam
Select IBPS Exam
Select Entrance Exam
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Yes No
Settings X