INTERNET
“Internetwork” or more simply put, “Internet” is a system of interconnected computer networks.
Internet has revolutionized human life today –it has influenced almost every sphere of our life. The
Internet has become a magic wand wherein information on anything can be accessible by the click of a
button. It has brought tremendous changes to the way we communicate, teach, socialize, pay our bills,
book movie tickets, and many other zillion things of our daily routine. It is very hard to imagine life
without a computer and internet.
The internet that was restricted and affordable to a few technology-savvy people earlier is now
accessible to a huge section of the world population. The use of Internet has brought lot of comforts
and convenience to us. However, every coin has two sides to it. Similarly, the constant and continuous
use of internet has plagued today’s society with a very crucial question – is internet a boon or bane?
Reading books, newspapers have become outdated, as everything is readily available on the net. The
worst affected are the children who do not let their creativity, grow and develop. They are addicted to
the variety of games available for them to play, and are hooked on to the various social networking
sites. The wonderful habits of playing outdoors and personal interactions with others in the society are
all lost. They are also the ones easily vulnerable to the predators on the internet. Yes, the internet is a
very unsafe place for kids. The uncensored content in the internet can play havoc on young
impressionable minds. Child pornography and child abuse are also becoming very common these days.
Many innocent lives have been traumatized, and lost due to relationships based on these encounters on
internet.
All these dangers have made many companies offer parental vigilance. Thus, kids have only restricted
access to internet and parents can monitor the sites they visit frequently. Children need to be educated
and made aware of the hazards they can face on internet. Internet sure has influenced parenting also.
Parents need to have that extra eye over the child’s internet activity. They need to be very
communicative with the kids and ensure that they are not awed or intimidated by any activity on the
net. Adult supervision can be maintained by placing the computer in the living room or kitchen so that
the child is never alone while accessing the net. Technology combined with proper education and
awareness can do marvels to the society. However, we need to strike the perfect balance here. As new
and new inventions are happening daily, we need to strike the balance as soon as possible.
It is up to us to use the internet judiciously and ensure that it remains a boon forever.
