The Positive and Negative

Effects of the Internet

The internet is so popular nowadays that almost anyone uses it. It is accessible
by almost any person who tries to connect to one of its central, main networks.
Moreover, it can be accessed by users of any age and condition. But what are
the positives and negatives aspects of the internet?

The Internet has some great positive effects. Some of these include:

 Internet search engines are the best information retrieval systems

available. They bring any kind of information for internet users, from local
restaurants to international news.
 The Internet provides some of the most effective means
of communication among people, including online  emailing and instant
messaging.
 The Internet makes possible for business and comp anies to do
transactions with their clients and customers.
 Thanks to the internet, people can take action and avoid
adverse circumstances. For instance, hurricane, storms and
accidents can be tracked through the internet.
 The internet has allowed the interchange of ideas and materials among
scientists, university professors, and students, in addition to provide
servers, resource centers and online tools for their research and scholar
activities. Moreover, million of books, journals and other material are
available through the internet because of the digitization of public
domains material from libraries in the States and Europe. This action
enables people to learn all new sort of things.

Sometimes, the internet can have negative effects, including:

 Illegal or inappropriate materials can be found in the internet.

 Some people in recent years have illegally downloaded music or other
copyrighted material for free. This action has had a negative impact on
the music industry and has led to several lawsuits.
 The addiction to online social networks can disturb a person's way of
living and professional activity.
 Some criminals use the internet for spreading computer viruses or even
intercepting credit card or bank details for spurious purposes.
The Impact of Video Games on This Generation

most people of this new generation will grow on video games as I did. Video games
have become the new normal in media as television and movies were in the past,
and the video game industry will continue to rake in the profits.

Many parents seem horrified by video games for a number of reasons, but they fail
to recognize that there are some positives from the games as well. For example,
video games encourage problem solving skills and logical reasoning, which in fact
allows children to solve puzzles creatively, both literally and figuratively. Video
games have been shown to increase hand-eye coordination and motor skills, and
even has been shown to improve quick thinking.

Knowing this then what are the harms of video games? It seems like the cons of
video games are more prevalent in the mainstream press, as typically the audience
is geared toward an older segment of the population. That being said there are
certainly harms, as a report by the Surgeon General stated that video games can
make children more fearful and less sensitive to pain. Does that mean that children
are at a far higher risk of being violent if they play video games? 
Well no, as the violent juvenile crime rate in the U.S. has decreased as video game
sales have gone up. The arrest rate for juvenile murders has fallen from 71.9 percent
between 1995 and 2008 to 49.3 percent, and during this time period video games
sales increased tremendously. Despite that it is quite possible that children will not
have the same type of social development if they spend a large amount of their time
playing video games which can be concerning. Video games, in fact, decrease
violence, but there are still concerning factors within video games such as decreased
attention, lack of physical activity among others.

So what should one's relation to video games be in this ever changing world? To
have an absolute response in either direction is detrimental to a child's well being.
Parents should encourage their children to partake in physical activity of course and
focus more on education than video games however video games can become part
of this. There are many educational video games, and games that encourage
physical activity and to slowly ease a child into this only serves to benefit them. This
way the child will learn that video games are not a taboo, but at the same time not
become dependent on them as many children are today. With video games, as with
most things in life, there must be a balancing act between reality and a virtual
world.
The Good and Bad Effects of TV on Children
It is hard to avoid television if you are a kid.  People in the house are usually tuned in to TV -
siblings as well as parents.  In some homes, the television is perpetually "on" even without
anyone watching.  It is common for parents and caregivers to use TV as a substitute
babysitter.   Also, many parents buy videos that they think can make their kids smart.  But
how does watching TV really affect children? 

The bad news is, the majority of experts think that a TV/video-driven culture has bad effects
on kids - and may prevent kids from being smart.  They cite the following:

 TV provides no educational benefits for a child under age 2.  Worse, it steals time for
activities that actually develop her brain, like interacting with other people and playing. 
A child learns a lot more efficiently from real interaction - with people and things, rather
than things she sees on a video screen.
 TV viewing takes away the time that your child needs to develop important skills
like language, creativity, motor, and social skills.  These skills are developed in the kids’
first two years (a critical time for brain development) through play, exploration, and
conversation.  Your kid’s language skills, for example, do not improve by passively
listening to the TV.  It is developed by interacting with people, when talking and
listening is used in the context of real life. 
 TV watching also affects a child’s health and athletic ability. The more television a
child watches, even in the first years of life, the more likely he is to be obese and
less muscularly fit, according to a study by the University of Montreal. Even though
your kid does not aspire to be a football star, his athletic abilities are important not
only for physical health, but predicting how physically active he will be as an adult.
 Every hourly increase in daily television watching from two and a half years old is
also associated with bullying by classmates, and physical prowess at kindergarten,
Some experts, however, believe that TV is not all that bad.  They qualify though that viewing
TV can be good if it is done in moderation, and if the program being watched is selected:

 Some TV shows can educate, inform and inspire.  It can be more effective than
books or audiotapes in teaching your kid about processes like how a plant grows or how
to bake a cake.
 Studies show that kids who watch educational and non-violent children’s shows do
better on reading and math tests than those who do not watch these programs. 
 Kids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend to watch
more informative and educational shows when they get older.  They use TV effectively
as a complement to school learning.  On the other hand, kids who watch more
entertainment program watch fewer informative programs as they get older  (Macbeth,
1996).
 Preschoolers who viewed educational programs tend to have higher grades, are less
aggressive and value their studies more when they reach high school, according to a
long-term study 
IMPACT OF TECHNOLGY ON OUR SOCIETY

When we speak of the impact of technology on society, we always talk about the positive
effects of technology and about how technology has made life easy. We talk about the Internet
as an information resource and a communication platform and conveniently ignore the fact
that an overexposure to it leads to Internet addiction. We often discuss how technology has
made life easy but easily forget that it has made us overly dependent on it. Have you thought
of the impact of technology from this point of view? I am sure, most of you haven't. Let us look
at this aspect of technology here.

Impact of Technology on Our Society

Think of the days when there were no computers and no modern means of transport. Human
life was highly restricted due to the unavailability of technological applications. Daily life
involved a lot of physical activity. Life of the common man was not as luxurious as that of
modern times, but he was more active. Exercise was integrated into routine physical activities.
It was contrary to the sedentary lifestyle of today, which leaves no time for exercise and fills
days with inactivity and laze. Today we don't want to, and thanks to the advancement of
technology, don't even need to walk, move around, or exert ourselves physically to great
extents in order to get things done. We have the world at our fingertips.

We think of technology as a boon to society. I am afraid; it's not completely a boon. The
Internet has bred many unethical practices, like hacking, spamming and phishing. Internet
crime is on the rise. The Internet, being an open platform lacks regulation. There is no
regulation on the content displayed on websites. Internet gambling has become an addiction
for many. Overexposure to the Internet has taken its toll. In this virtual world, you can be who
you are not, you can be virtually living even after you die. Isn't this weird? Children are
spending all their time playing online and less or almost no time playing on the ground.
Youngsters are spending most of their time social networking, missing on the joys of real social
life.

Think of the days when there were no online messengers, no emails, and no cell phones.
Indeed cellular technology made it possible for us to communicate over wireless media. Web
communication facilities have worked wonders in speeding long-distance communication. On
the other hand, they have deprived mankind of the warmth of personal contact. Emails
replaced handwritten letters and communication lost its personal touch. With the means of
communication so easily accessible, that magic in waiting to reach someone and the
excitement that followed have vanished.

The impact of technology on society is deep. It is both positive and negative. Technology has
largely influenced every aspect of living. It has made life easy, but so easy that it may lose its
charm one day. One can cherish an accomplishment only if it comes after effort. But
everything has become so easily available due to technology that it has lost its value. There is a
certain kind of enjoyment in achieving things after striving for them. But with everything a few
clicks away, there is no striving, there's only striking. With the developments in technology, we
may be able to enjoy all the pricey luxuries in life but at the cost of losing its priceless joys.
TV is a constant presence in most Americans' lives. With its fast-moving, visually interesting,
highly entertaining style, it commands many people's attention for several hours each day.
Studies have shown that television competes with other sources of human interaction—such as
family, friends, church, and school—in helping young people develop values and form ideas
about the world around them. It also influences viewers' attitudes and beliefs about themselves,
as well as about people from other social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

What Parents Can Do

In trying to decide what steps to take to protect your children from the negative effects of TV
violence, it is important to realize that in today's modern culture they will be exposed to a
certain amount of this type of programming even if they don't see it at home. So we must
adjust ourselves to that reality and figure out what can be done in view of that. We suggest the
following:

Restrict TV Time

Try and restrict television time to one or two hours per day, however, keep in mind that
quantity is not as much an issue as quality. In other words, it's what is watched more than how
much is watched that is most important.

Preview ahead.

Preview ahead programs that your kids want to watch and make an informed decision as to
whether they are appropriate or not.

Select approved videos over network programming.

Substitute your children's favorite videos for network programming. Most kids like to watch
favorite videos repeatedly.

Discuss violent content with your children.

Frankly discuss any violent content with your children. Be sure that they have a firm grasp on
the difference between fantasy and reality. Focus on the suffering caused by violence as
opposed to messages that portray violence as acceptable. Research has found that one of the
best ways of avoiding the negative effects of TV violence on children is to involve them in
discussions about how children can be fooled or hurt by what they see on television.

Select pro-social prgramming.

Encourage viewing of pro-social and educational TV programming. Some research suggests

that viewing television programs that enhance learning, teach moral lessons, and model caring
behavior (such as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) can be a positive influence.

Turn off the TV.

Find alternatives to watching TV. Encourage reading, participation in sports or extracurricular

activities, or simply more creative play that occurs when the TV is off.

Avoid using TV for babysitting.

Don't use television as a babysitter. This is sometimes hard, especially for working parents. It's
quite tempting to sit kids in front of the TV so you can get dinner on the table, or attend to
chores that need to be done, or even have a few moments to yourself. Be sure that the TV
viewing is going to be a positive experience for your child no matter what the circumstances.

Be an involved parent.

Finally, and this is probably the most important one - you want to be sure that you have a close
relationship with your child that is nurturing and caring. You must spend adequate positive
time together. Also, take the time to teach the values you want them to internalize. Help them
learn to solve problems and conflicts through nonviolent means and effective communication.
Children who have strong attachments to their parents, and feel loved and secure in those
relationships, are much less likely to be negatively effected by television than those who feel
isolated and neglected. Be sure that you are the primary influence in your child's development
rather that the TV.