Since its invention, the Internet has changed the way people interact. Many people argue that it has had a negative influence on the way teenagers and young adults communicate. This essay will explain how the internet negatively affects the development of young people’s social skills and will suggest how its influence can be reduced.
The Internet can lead to a lack of social skills for young people in two ways. Firstly, as an activity which is usually done alone, frequent use of the Internet can lead to a sense of loneliness and detachment from the world. Teenagers are especially vulnerable to these feelings as they may not have developed strong peer groups and often lack emotional strength. Excessive use of the Internet could also lead to the inability to communicate effectively with other people in face-to-face situations and often comes at the expense of more social activities such as meeting with friends.
A sensible way to decrease the detrimental impact of the Internet on young people’s social development is to make sure they are not overusing it. Limits should be placed on the amount of Internet use and other forms of recreational activity should be encouraged. For instance, parents could allow their children to use the web for only one hour on weekday afternoons and balance this with participation in activities that promote social skills, such as joining youth or sports clubs. Such boundaries would ensure that teenagers are leading a balanced lifestyle and mixing with others.
In summary, it can be seen that over-exposure to the Internet can be dangerous to young people. Specifically, it can harm the development of their social skills at an important time in their lives. It is recommended that parents try to prevent this from happening by restricting their children’s internet usage. If a concerted effort is not made, a lack of social skills will become a major issue in our society.