Munns 1

Ryan Munns

Professor Scott

ENGL-221-8446

18 April 2023

Effects of the Internet

Since growing up in a generation during the 2000s, the internet was easily accessible for

many at a very young age, and today, it is getting more and more common throughout most

households in the United States. Kids are exposed to a lot of good things through the internet,

like being able to socialize more easily and the ability to learn whatever they want whenever they

want. But, it comes with a load of bad things as well, like the risk of meeting sketchy strangers,

distraction from life goals, and vulnerability to cyberbullying. Parents and schools often use

learning websites for their kids, which can be known to help them develop faster mentally, and

benefit them in the long run. But, giving a child unlimited access to the internet, like most kids

have, can have negative effects. These kids grow up using the internet as a daily part of their

lives, and this early exposure can be a result of excessive internet usage and all of the negative

side effects that come with it. Sure, the internet can be a useful tool for many aspects of our lives,

but the amount of negative side effects that come with usage is overwhelming. With all of this

kept in mind, is the internet a positive or negative addition to our lives?

It is no secret that children and young adults struggle with keeping their mental health

stable. It would be a long shot to say that their usage of the internet is causing this all, but there is

an overwhelming amount of evidence and examples that suggest so. Everyone in the United

States has access to the internet, and almost every teenager and young adult keeps a phone of

them at all times. But, it is not just American people that have the ability to do this. Technology
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in Japan is just as good, and the correlation of internet usage and their mental health was studied.

An article called “Survey of the effects of internet usage on the happiness of Japanese university

students,” talks about a study done to young adults in Japan about their internet usage. The

article states, “It was shown that there was a significant negative correlation between Japanese

youths’ happiness and PIU (problematic internet usage)” (Kitazawa 1). This is clear evidence

showing that the more somebody uses the internet, the more likely they are to struggle with

unhappiness, or even depression. Japanese culture and American culture both include

smartphones and unlimited access to the internet, so this evidence is still relevant to my question.

I can easily see how Kitazawa’s research is true in the sense that too much time on the phone or

computer can lead to depression. Whenever we look at or do something on the internet, it is

pleasurable to us. We get a hit of instant gratification. By doing this an excessive amount, we

overload and fry our dopamine receptors. This results in people not feeling the need to perform

tasks that make us feel fulfilled, or rewarded. During our free time, imagine if we decided to play

a sport, practice an instrument, or cook a nice meal. All of these activities include an amount of

work and dedication. Doing activities like these would make us feel more complete, compared to

just scrolling on our phones. We get a sense of gratification when scrolling on our phones, but no

sense of reward or fulfillment. No wonder using the internet excessively is correlated with long

term unhappiness. I have personal experience with this. I too have found myself scrolling on my

phone for an excessive amount of time. Afterwards, I have this feeling of regret, like I just

wasted a bunch of time. I could have cleaned my room or done my homework, but instead my

time was wasted. But, there are more factors of the internet that can play a role in our

unhappiness. Especially for children, cyberbullying is an increasing problem that is not going

away anytime soon. Because children are so invested in the internet in today’s world, they are
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vulnerable when it comes to being bullied on it. This is not a huge problem for adults, and is

more of an issue that affects children and teens. Some people believe that being cyberbullied is

not possible, because you can just turn off your device and forget about it. But, for children and

teens, it is not that simple. A study called “Feeling Cybervictims’ Pain—The Effect of Empathy

Training on Cyberbullying,'' digs into how cyberbullying can affect children. The author of the

article stated, “Anonymity, publicity and the digital nature of cyberbullying incidents caused

students to rate these as more severe than traditional bullying incidents” (Schultze-Krumbholz

148). This undeniably proves the fact that cyberbullying is just as bad, if not worse, then

traditional bullying. It is very common for children to have social media, and even kids in

elementary school. Being cyberbullied and made fun of by your classmates can make it very hard

to go to school the next day. They develop a feeling of loneliness, and an extreme wave of

insecurity. Children should not be worried about people attacking them online. Teenagers and

children should focus on enjoying the social aspect of school, instead of seeking that on

instagram. Yes, at least the kid cannot be physically harmed through this style of bullying, but

unfortunately, cyberbullying can lead to self harm, or even suicide. Based on the evidence

presented, it does not seem like the internet is known to boost my mental state.

Unnecessary internet usage plays a huge role in our everyday lives. Most people,

including myself, spend at least a little bit of time using the internet for personal pleasure. This

can become such a big time-waster, that it keeps us from pursuing what is really important to us.

An article called, “Do sleeping habits mediate the association between time spent on digital

devices and school problems in adolescence?” includes a study on the correlation between

internet usage and sleep/school performance. This article says, “Results showed that the more

time adolescents spent on digital devices during leisure time, the more school problems they
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had.” (Husarova 1). If the internet is distracting children from their school, then it can easily do

the same to me. I am aware that I spend a lot of time online. I know that it distracts me from

pursuing my academic and personal goals. Sometimes I feel unconscious when spending an

extended amount of time using the internet. If I used my free time to learn or do something

productive and meaningful, then I would feel like I am using my time, and not wasting it. I do

not feel like I am addicted to the internet, but internet addiction is turning into a real problem in

our society. People are becoming so dependent on the internet for entertainment and

socialization, that it is now being labeled as an addiction. An article by the name of “‘Internet

Addiction’: a Conceptual Minefield” touches on why people become dependent on the internet.

It clearly states, “Indeed, it has been indicated that there are several distinct types of IA (internet

addiction), including online gaming, social media, and online shopping, and it has been claimed

that through engagement in these behaviours, individuals may become addicted to these

experiences” (Ryding 226). As people are sucked into these activities via the internet, they are

distracted from their goals and futures. I can relate to what Ryding said because I do take part in

online gaming and social media, and sometimes I do these things instead of doing homework, or

something else important. I think the internet can cause people to lose motivation, because it

constantly gratifies us. To stay focused and to keep motivation, I think that internet usage should

be kept to a minimum.

The internet includes so many social media websites that it can actually be dangerous to

use. There can be so many people that you can “meet” through the internet. You never really

know who is trying to get your information or personal contact. An article called “Relationship

between Symptoms of Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Unsafe Internet Usage in Early

Adolescence” discusses the dangerous correlation between children with ADHD and their unsafe
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use of the internet. The article specifically states, “This study suggests that there may be a

significant relation between ADHD symptoms, conduct disorder and pathological and unsafe

internet usage.” (Vular 240). It also taps into what unsafe internet usage is, and how children

sometimes meet up with random strangers, which is clearly unsafe. I personally have never met

up with a stranger I met online, but I would talk to strangers online very often when I was

younger. This could not have been good for me, because I could never be sure of the stranger’s

intentions. Another dangerous aspect of the internet could be online dating. “What are the real

and perceived risks and dangers of online dating? Perspectives from online daters” is an article

written by Danielle Couch. The article says, “Searching online for sex might present risks of

‘unwanted contact, non-consensual behaviour and violence’” (Couch 698). I know many people

who have had successful relationships that started online, but the risk is always there. The

evidence shows the dangers of meeting people online. You can never really know their intentions

until you meet them in person and get to know them. I think that it would be best if I stayed away

from getting to know strangers online.

The internet plays a huge role in our everyday lives. The internet can be a great thing, in

terms of socializing, learning, and entertainment, but all of these negative aspects cannot be

ignored. I believe that the internet is bad for me, most of the time because it can lead to a poor

mental health full of depression and insecurities. It can also be dangerous due to the strangers we

meet there, and all of the people trying to scam and get hold of our information. The internet can

also be extremely time consuming. It is very common for people to be stripped from all of their

motivation for their personal goals, because all of their time is being spent on the internet. I think

with all of these negative risks that come from internet usage, that it would probably be best for

me, and others, to stay away from excessive usage. It would be best to only use the internet in
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your free time, and to not use it as procrastinating to do something meaningful. Also it would be

much better for your mental health to expand your activities and other things with your free time.

Pick up a hobby, go on a hike, or workout before wasting a ton of time online.

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Works Cited

Couch, Danielle, et al. “What Are the Real and Perceived Risks and Dangers of Online Dating?

Perspectives from Online Daters: Health Risks in the Media.” Health, Risk & Society,

vol. 14, no. 7-8, 2012, pp. 697–714, https://doi.org/10.1080/13698575.2012.720964.

Husarova, Daniela, et al. “Do Sleeping Habits Mediate the Association Between Time Spent on

Digital Devices and School Problems in Adolescence?” European Journal of Public

Health, vol. 28, no. 3, 2018, pp. 463–68, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckx198.

Kitazawa, Momoko, et al. “Survey of the Effects of Internet Usage on the Happiness of Japanese

University Students.” Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, vol. 17, no. 1, 2019, pp.

151–151, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-019-1227-5.

Ryding, Francesca C., and Linda K. Kaye. “‘Internet Addiction’: a Conceptual Minefield.”

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, vol. 16, no. 1, 2018, pp. 225–32,

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9811-6.

Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja, et al. “Feeling Cybervictims’ Pain-The Effect of Empathy Training

on Cyberbullying.” Aggressive Behavior, vol. 42, no. 2, 2016, pp. 147–56,

https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21613.

Vural, Pınar, et al. “Relationship Between Symptoms of Disruptive Behavior Disorders and

Unsafe Internet Usage in Early Adolescence.” Noro-Psikiyatri Arsivi, vol. 52, no. 3,

2015, pp. 240–46, https://doi.org/10.5152/npa.2015.7346.