Since its popular advent the internet has replaced the TV as the most popular form of media in the developed world. It has opened up what used to be called the ‘information highway’ and now you can find conventional news and business sites as well as blogs, vlogs, tubes, Twitter, (rebranded X) Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram as well as much more. Internet connections also facilitate MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game) games the most of popular of which is World of Warcraft – where players not only play the game but can interact with each other through its chat facilities. The internet has become a real virtual world that forms a major element of people’s social interactions – particularly younger people. Indeed, older people are often left bewildered and confused by the technologies involved and the complex interactions it creates.
On one hand the internet is a boundless opportunity. Website building has become even easier in recent years because it is unnecessary to learn programming or scripting to be able to write HTML, CSS, PHP or other scripts. CMS (Content Management Systems) like Wordpress, Wix or Joomla have removed the complexity from website building. This has led to thousands (if not more) of new websites being created daily.
It is possible to find almost anything on the internet, Wikipedia, whilst being a populist encyclopaedia has a proven track record for high levels of accuracy and whilst academia frown upon it as a reliable source it often provides a good foundation as a starting point for studying anything and is far more accessible than Google Scholar. The internet is a great source of all kinds of information that can better facilitate a person’s education.
The internet is a great source of entertainment. Films can be watched through Netflix, songs downloaded through i-Tunes and for everything else there is YouTube although sometimes they have some funny rules and can be difficult. Candy Crush Saga and other internet games are growing in popularity and it is not uncommon to see people playing such games on buses and during breaks at work or school.
Finally the internet is mobile. It is a long time since we used a 56k telephone connection plugged into our desktop. First the laptop, next the tablet and now we have the smartphone to keep us connected at all times, even if we do not have a mobile connection, there are plenty of free hotspots wherever we go and we are always connected.
So is there a dark side to this information Utopia? Everything has its price – so beware, be aware and be safe!
In addition to all the scams and obvious risks like identity theft and information security (eg online banking) social media has brought together people from different parts of the world who would not naturally come into contact with each other. Some people on the other side of the connection maybe are not what they seem, they may create fake profiles or have a sinister agenda and with Skype and other technologies unknown people can easily find their way into your teenager’s life.
So, the internet on the whole is a good thing, but we have to be sensible and make safe guidelines. As parents you only wish to protect your children and as teenagers you need to respect that your parents want to protect you and they make rules not to remove your freedom but for your own good in the same way as they held your hand when crossing the road when you were small. You can ask yourself this question; do your parents know what you do online and are you safe doing it?
