Is Exposure to the Internet at an Early Age a Good Idea?

‘Finally the weekend’, you yell with excitement. ‘I can finally sleep in without any stress’, you murmur under your breath while covering yourself up with a cozy blanket. It is 8 a.m., the chirps of the birds sound like a lullaby to your ears and you close your eyes again, thinking that it’s Saturday and no power on earth can stop you from sleeping till noon.  

However, you forget about the little kids that live next door; your children. ‘Welcome to Ryan’s toy world’, ‘It’s FGTeeV’, ‘Welcome to Baldi’s basics, with educational learning’, all of these YouTube song lyrics hit your head like a hammer and you wake up screaming ‘Not again, why didn’t I hide the remote?’. 

Who would like the idea of waking up from the sounds of random YouTubers, early in the morning, that too on a Saturday? Not a single parent, we believe. And listening to these sounds 24/7? You will obviously go crazy. 

An excess of everything is bad and this is exactly what we will be discussing in this article. We are not saying that the use of technology is detrimental; however, from the scenario sketched above, we are trying to explain how harmful the excessive use of the internet can be. 

We cannot deny the fact that the internet has taken over our lives. And not just adults, children have also started confiding in this piece of technology. They turn to it for entertainment, comfort, learning, and whatnot. 

Moreover, schools nowadays also encourage learning through the internet. Teachers upload informative ‘flip the classroom’ videos on the student portal for the children to see before coming to class. In addition to this, the covid-19 pandemic introduced online applications like Zoom and Microsoft teams that enabled the children to take online classes from the comfort of their homes. 

Considering the excessive usage of the internet, providers like Optimum have introduced built-in security systems that would show your kids a warning before visiting harmful sites. You can click on this link https://www.localcabledeals.com/optimum to learn more about the security system. 

Therefore, the internet does benefit children in many ways and will continue to do so. The important point however is to monitor the use of the internet and prevent its excessive usage. 

Considering the Essentials

The original question: ‘Is exposure to the internet at an early age a good idea?’ essentially depends on several factors. Placing a ban on the internet for children and detaining them from using it is not a very healthy option. We are saying this because this piece of technology blesses kids as well as teenagers with distinctive opportunities to stay relevant and up to date with the surroundings. 

Nevertheless, parents as well as teachers must teach the children about the right way of utilizing the internet. They must also provide them with a guidebook explaining all the safety, security, and privacy rules of the internet. 

The last thing you want is your child’s Roblox account being hacked by some spoiled teenager who teaches him bad words and steals all his Robux (in-game currency). Safety in the online world is very important. 

There are several sound parental concerns regarding early exposure to the internet. Besides the clear complaints, regarding kids adopting sedentary lifestyles or “growing up too fast,” there are many other internet-related issues as well that keep the parents up at night. 

Their concerns are not baseless, considering that the internet and social media act as a radar for online child predators. That is exactly why it is said that internet exposure at a very young age usually requires guidance from parents. 

To effectively carry out this duty, parents must try to learn about the various interfaces of the internet and must keep an eye on all the latest advancements on social media. This would help them maintain a check on their child’s online activity. 

In simpler words, parents of for instance middle school children must regularly check their kids’ Facebook and Instagram accounts and approve of their followers and friend lists. To keep a check on these accounts, parents must also be aware of their child’s passwords. Internet security is not that intimidating if children cooperate with their parents and listen to what they have to say.  Once they’ve agreed to their parents’ rules, children can then use social media and the internet for entertainment and socialization. 

Another factor that infuriates the parents is the amount of time wasted by the children while surfing the web. Social media can be highly addictive and toxic for both adults and children. 

Children are said to be particularly prone to overindulging in pleasant, new hobbies. As a result, it is recommended that families only allow a limited amount of use. Children can efficiently control their time and still have an online social life by having clear boundaries.

The long-term consequences of using social media instead of face-to-face interaction are becoming worrisome for the parents. Meeting people, going to events, creating, and networking are all great things you can do on social media. However, it might also prevent young people from having authentic interactions. The connection on social media can be so alluring that hands-on time can be drastically reduced or even completely eliminated. 

Nevertheless, we must also not forget that children need to engage with their environment on a personal level. A more well-rounded worldview can be developed in children through genuine engagement. It improves levels of confidence and genuine social abilities. 

Final Words

Internet and social media have taken over our lives and also the lives of our children. However, it is our duty to ensure that we expose our kids only to the positive sides of the internet so they can progress in life.