CHILDREN CAN SINK AS WELL AS SURF ON THE INTERNET.

Byline: Greg Steckler and Gerald Deskin 

Many children are as excited as their parents, or more, at the possibilities of the Internet and they usually have more time to explore it. The dramatic explosion of information and communication possibilities are here to stay, and it is getting better and more useful daily.

The good things about the Internet: Children can look at Web sites designed for them. Older children can access much information from around the world for class assignments. It is very simple to useand costs nothing to e-mail letters anywhere in the world. Shopping for almost anything is relatively easy from one's computer. As technology improves, we will be able to talk to others as well as write them notes. The ease of use makes it especially appealing to children. They can talk to others on chat-lines. All of this can be done relatively quickly and efficiently as one learns how to use the Internet.

Abuses of the Internet: Parents need to be aware of the abuses and dangers of the Internet for their children. If children have access to credit cards, they can purchase anything an adult can buy. They may make unsuitable friends on the Internet. They may give out personal information such as credit card numbers, home phone numbers and addresses to individuals they do not know. There are individuals who are ready to take advantage of the unsuspecting child. There are Web sites that deal with pornography or other Web sites containing material that parents may not want their children to see. As of now, their is no efficient way of doing this other than parents monitoring their children.

Wasting time: A major concern for parents is that the Internet is very seductive. It is easy for children to spend hours and hours investigating new information or just chatting with people. Children have been known to spend four to six hours per day ion the Internet. When this happens, the results can be serious. Grades suffer. Children often do not get enough sleep. Adolescents, especially, have been known to stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning glued to the monitor, simply playing or chatting with others. Parents need to weigh the pros and cons of using the Internet. An excellent and almost essential tool for older adolescents, the Internet can be abused very easily. Placing the computer in an area other than the child's bedroom will allow parents to monitor what their children are doing. The overuse of the computer not only wastes time, but may have adverse effects on the child's eyes as well. Sitting at a computer monitor for hours can lead to eye strain.

Recommendations for parents: Parents should consider purchasing a computer for their children. More and more colleges are requiring students to have computers when they enter college. This means learning how to use the computer and how to type at an earlier age. Children can learn a great deal from the Internet. Parents should allow their children to use the Internet based on their maturity level. This means parents need to monitor how long and how often children use the computer. Remember, many children learn to do their homework on the computer. Parents should limit their child's use of the Internet just as they limit watching television. Both devices can be seductive to use and time wasting. Children need to be relating to other children and be involved in some physical exercise every day.