Students are becoming more and more dependent on the Internet. Some think that while using the Internet can help students study, it can also be detrimental and its use for educational purposes should be limited. I partially agree with this notion because even though it is true that the Internet exposes children to unhealthy information and eats away their time, it is a great tool to gain access to up-to-date information and our educational system should take advantage of it.
On the one hand, the negative effects that the Internet has on children are real. Learning of the Internet, especially social media platforms from a young age badly affects children both physically and mentally. As the Internet is extremely interesting with all types of new information, it is highly likely that people will get addicted to it once they get to use it, and the risk is even higher with children, who have not yet gained the ability to fully control their behavior. As young people’s screen time increases, they spend less time doing exercise, which lead to a decline in public health. Not only that, as content on social media are getting shorter and shorter, it compromises children’s focus span, which is essential to their learning ability. Research found that in the UK, as teenagers’ screen time skyrocketed over the past 10 years, their chance of being obese also rose significantly.
On the other hand, the Internet is a platform through which people can get new information immediately. New information is important, no matter whether it is about new scientific breakthroughs or technological advancements since it is the resource needed for learning and experimenting. Without such resources, people are likely stuck in their current world, unable to move toward the future. For example, a high school in Vietnam that incorporates the use of the Internet into its curriculum experienced exponential growth in their students’ academic results.
In conclusion, even though an inappropriate approach to the Internet can damage youngsters’ physical health and their ability to focus, we can not neglect the potential of leveraging it to improve our educational system.