The emergence of social media following the availability of the internet has attracted people from all generations, including youngsters. Several youngsters are accessing the internet without any supervision or guidance from their elders, in order to meet and chat with their kith and kin, which is potentially very dangerous, especially when taken into account how impressionable young people can be. This essay talks about the possible solutions to deal with this kind of issue.
First of all, it must be understood that the internet is a necessity for everyone, be it a school student, a college graduate, or retired old men. The use cases of the Internet for all age groups can be vastly different. So, we must acknowledge the fact that youngsters should not be completely refrained from using the internet. But, after considering the fact that the internet has become a means for committing crimes, cheating, and fraud, which iscombinedly and popularly known as cybercrimes, the younger kids at a very impressionable age cannot be trusted with the internet on their own. So, firstly, it is important to make the youth aware of the threats that the internet can pose on their lives. Next, it is also important to guide them through various browsers to get access to educational sites rather than leaving them on their own to explore the entire internet.
Moreover, the parents must be responsible enough to supervise and routinely check the activities and browsing history of their offspring within the internet, and warn them against certain sites. Educational institutions can also play a vital role in setting boundaries for students regarding the extent to which one’s personal credentials should be shared on the internet. Although the entire world has become a global village due to the emergence of the concept of globalization, netizens should always remember not to share everything about their own or others’ personal lives on the web. Furthermore, elders should take advantage of access control systems and child-locks to refrain young minds from exploring things that are beyond their knowledge level. It is also equally important to limit the time of usage of the internet, in order to prevent students from wasting their time on it and hampering their studies.
The youth should also be educated about not trusting any unknown people on the internet as it is well known that not everyone in it mean to do good, some are there to prey on the innocent ones. In conclusion, it can be said that the internet, if used properly, is equal to a thousand books, but if not used wisely, can become a Pandora’s box.