This is something I have been thinking about for a long time. The internet is by far one of the most valuable tools ever made in the history of humanity. It is one of the most used and most depended on resource of our generation. Before the times of the Internet, people seemed to be more communicative with their peers. I believe that in those times, people could hold a conversation, make connections, and create bonds far more easily than they can today. The Internet seems to have reduced the chances of these things severely, and I do not think that is a good thing. The "connections" are made via social networks. I believe though, however, the Internet seems to have created the opportunity for the newer generations to utilize such valuable resources, such as Google. Even though the research medium is different, people still have to venture through information to find out what they need to know.

Now what I am generally concerned about is whether or not the Internet is more bad than good for the current generations and generations to come. I think one important issue that has become relevant in modern times is early exposure. I have noticed on these forums and many others a kind of premature exposure of sensitive topics to younger children. There seems to be more readily available and easily accessible ways to find the Internet. There are people at the age of three to five years old who use their parents' phones to play games and use the internet. I believe that youth should have a restriction on their internet access so that they cannot be exposed to such content at an early age; it affects the overall growth and development of their minds. Some topics are meant to be figured out by experience and adventure, not through the Internet.

Another concern that I have is that the youth of today (and the probably the future) will have struggles with mental health. I have seen first-hand a lot of depressed and anxious children and teenagers all around the Internet. Like I stated above, people who are exposed to the Internet more than others are definitely more inclined to be stuck in their room all day on their computer browsing the web. This will cause a lack of connections with other children, thus affecting their growth and development. Because they have a lack of growth and development, their brains will not be able to comprehend how to make bonds later in life. I believe this to be a huge issue considering human communication is a very important issue it today's society.

If you have anything else to add, please say so below. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts and reactions to my own thoughts. Do you think the Internet is good or bad for today's youth?

*Please note that all of this is late night talk, and that none of this is statistical or researched information directly. I am just typing this off of the top of my head.*

I pretty much side with most of this. I may sound like a hypocrite when I talk about reducing internet usage for people, but I'm 21 years old and did not really get on the internet much until I was into my teens. I spent nearly my entire childhood outside in forests and stuff getting myself hurt and doing really stupid stuff, but that's the kind of things that make you grow up better. When you raise a kid in a safe environment where they do not leave ever except for school because of the internet, you only hinder their mental development since they've never had the chance to learn how to interact with people properly.

Heavy internet usage may be considered okay once your kids grow up and are in their teens, but seeing an 8 year old constantly on a game or on the internet only means that they are not developing the parts of their brain that consist of reading other peoples emotions or learning how to carry a conversation properly. Along with this, outside experience is something really needed for kids to grow up in a way that makes them aware of everything around them. A kid who splits his shin falling from a rock and has been outside a lot, is bound to grow up more aware and more active than a kid who sat in a chair their whole childhood.

Along with all of this mess, there is also the rise of childhood obesity which I'm not even going to go into. All I can say is that the lack of outdoors from kids is leading to a higher weight and a higher average in health problems.

Anyways, I agree, internet can be a very bad thing for younger kids to get involved in.

where i lived growing up there were no children around to play with and if i played outside by myself i would have gotten hit by a car

When the internet was made, by i don't know who, i suppose it's purpose was to educate and to be educated, but the man has been adding things to it that actual generations are using in a bad way, there's always a dark side of the things, even the internet has it's own dark side. I had heard of a website where one can find variety of macabre stuff and things someone normal like us wouldn't ever imagine, this is how the youth would be seen effected nowaday.

Zakryah a dit :

where i lived growing up there were no children around to play with and if i played outside by myself i would have gotten hit by a car

Yeah, but that's beside the point of this thread.

Meathouse a dit :

doing really stupid stuff

But you do that now, dear.
(DON'T BAN ME HE'S A FRIEND AND I'M BEING A SHIT)

Rutabega a dit :

Zakryah a dit :VoirMasquer

where i lived growing up there were no children around to play with and if i played outside by myself i would have gotten hit by a car

Yeah, but that's beside the point of this thread.

Not necessarily? A lot of kids live in similar situations.
From age eleven on, I was never around kids in my area. I was also homeschooled my entire life, so I never saw kids in school. It was a lonely as hell existence. So I spent a lot of time on the computer starting at that age. I wouldn't say I'm "underdeveloped" or something, because I work retail and I meet lots of people every day and interact with them fine.

I think the internet is fine for kids with the proper supervision, which most parents don't give. Like Leon said above, there's a large dark side of the internet that kids risk being exposed to if they're not careful.

Another thing to think of, is you brought up communication with others. It might not necessarily be verbal, but communication is on the rise thanks to social media. Facebook, Snapchat, et cetera. All of these are forms of communication that help bring people closer together.

I think the biggest problem with the internet is kids get exposed to people that teach them behavior that turns them into massive twats well before they've developed their own sense of decency. I've had a kid I could have easily picked up by the ankles and tossed a few meters call me a cunt at one point. Even though I myself started cussing at around 9, I still knew better than to cuss at strangers or around adults. 'Cuz hey, danger sense is a thing but kids don't seem to have it anymore (probably because you know... the internet lets them be twats without threat of physical or parental punishment).

I do disagree with you on some points however. Primarily making bonds with others. It's actually much easier for a lot of people to bond over the internet. You can be more open with people because if things go south because you confessed something they don't like and it's irreparable, you can drop them. You don't have to worry about them telling the entire school you're gay or something and essentially "ruining your life" and your relationship with others. This doesn't mean the online relationships are less important, it simply means kids don't have to keep as many secrets from everyone, and having someone to help you cope or just know a secret can be a large mental weight off someone's mind. People are more confident/open when they have at least some degree of anonymity; it's both a good and bad thing.

My next disagreement is with the mental health aspect. Although if I remember correctly, mental illness is on the rise, I have a hard time believing it's because of the internet. Yes there are a lot of kids that are depressed, but then, there always have been. It's just now you're seeing more of them because the internet gives them a place to vent and cope. It's like how there seems like there's a lot more crime, drugs, violence, etc. than back in the day, but that's only because we have so much more exposure to that now because of how connected the world is. We know more than just what's in our town and what hits national news.

My next part of this is that you say kids are more inclined to be stuck inside on the web. So have kids been inclined to give up human interaction to read books, watch TV, or play video games. This is nothing new. At least the internet gives more potential to interact with humans than a book does. I'd suggest you actually look for studies on the impact of the internet on child development before making assumptions about the internet "stunting the growth and development of children" because that's a heavy claim. Also to Meathouse, kids have had their faces stuck in Gameboys for 20+ years. It's nothing new. Would you say people your age and older really turned out that bad and socially inept? As for obesity, I'm pretty sure it's more related to diet than activity levels. If many doctors say you can't lose a lot of weight just by exercising, and that you need to change your diet as well, I'd assume gaining weight is also primarily based on diet as well.

I do believe children should have some restrictions set by their parents. There's no doubt about that. It's important to understand the maturity of the child and what they can handle, and to teach them good internet sense while they're still young. I also think it's important for parents to not continue the pattern of "letting the flat screen raise their children" like they did with TV as the internet is a much more gruesome and unregulated place and then you end up with kids that threaten to rape people because they don't understand the severity of their threat. It's also important to actually check out the places they let their children. They can't just assume a cute little mouse game is going to be child friendly, but then again they've been doing that with every other media as well. (Hello Watership Down, my old friend.)

Overall, however, I think the internet is very beneficial place to children. Using adblock or paid services like Netflix means they're not advertised to (because the US thinks it's fine to try to manipulate children through TV ads). Even children who do not like to read books are encouraged to read in short bursts. The knowledge and exposure to other cultures can only be beneficial, and some children enjoy this kind of learning even if they don't like school learning.

That's kind of my rambly post.

TL;DR: The internet is fine. It's actually probably better for kids than previous shut in activities like reading or TV. Parents just really need to step up their game or kids will become serious twats.

Tbh, I think I'd be happier and nicer without the social side of the internet. Here people are rude and say things they'd never say in person. It makes me angry and negatively influences me. Like I can't help but let those rude remarks and jokes big Youtubers make slip into my speech.
It's very entertaining, sure, but I miss my innocent childhood where my main sources of entertainment were video games, TV and books.

I started going on the internet when I was verry young, and like every other kid, I hated swearing and stuff
Yes, I think without the internets impact, I would've turned out different. There is a scary part of the internet, that i discoverd at an early age, but if you watch kids on the internet, and don't let them visit bad websites, it wouldn't be much of a trouble. Even though, i still would've started swearing and such thanks to other things; Growing up, mature friends, phone.

You all make great and respectable points. I honestly believe the use of the Internet can be good and bad depending the circumstances. However, I think the Internet does more good than bad for today's youth.

The social medias of today are slowly going to destroy our world as we know it.

mynerdyways a dit :

The social medias of today are slowly going to destroy our world as we know it.

Most of them are okay, but Tumblr is dragging everyone down into a very scary place.

Saelus a dit :

mynerdyways a dit :VoirMasquer

The social medias of today are slowly going to destroy our world as we know it.

Most of them are okay, but Tumblr is dragging everyone down into a very scary place.

Tumblr really needs to be burned. The SJW side of it anyway, which is just one big, horrifically intolerant echo chamber that encourages the romanticisation of mental illness.

As you guys probably know, the younger you are, the more likely you will absorb information without a second thought. It's how you learn, after all. Imagine being a younger child and not knowing how the world works, and the first thing you're exposed to is the extreme SJW side of Tumblr, and learning the world through that way. Obviously it's not the ideal thing.

Doitsudoitsu a dit :

Saelus a dit :VoirMasquer

mynerdyways a dit :VoirMasquer

The social medias of today are slowly going to destroy our world as we know it.

Most of them are okay, but Tumblr is dragging everyone down into a very scary place.

Tumblr really needs to be burned. The SJW side of it anyway, which is just one big, horrifically intolerant echo chamber that encourages the romanticisation of mental illness.

Uh no lol
As someone with a mental illness who browses Tumblr regularly, I can tell you that for the most part, no. It's not really "encouraged" except for certain types of blogs. But it's not all of them. Most people actually preach AGAINST it.

Tumblr is both good and bad. Some things posted there have valid points, but there's just a lot of people who are like "lol burn all whites and cisgenders," which is wrong yeah. I think it's a case of a few bad eggs spoil the whole dozen.

Rutabega a dit :

As you guys probably know, the younger you are, the more likely you will absorb information without a second thought. It's how you learn, after all. Imagine being a younger child and not knowing how the world works, and the first thing you're exposed to is the extreme SJW side of Tumblr, and learning the world through that way. Obviously it's not the ideal thing.

that pretty much

Haruhitastic a dit :

Doitsudoitsu a dit :VoirMasquer

Saelus a dit :VoirMasquer

mynerdyways a dit :VoirMasquer

The social medias of today are slowly going to destroy our world as we know it.

Most of them are okay, but Tumblr is dragging everyone down into a very scary place.

Tumblr really needs to be burned. The SJW side of it anyway, which is just one big, horrifically intolerant echo chamber that encourages the romanticisation of mental illness.

Uh no lol
As someone with a mental illness who browses Tumblr regularly, I can tell you that for the most part, no. It's not really "encouraged" except for certain types of blogs. But it's not all of them. Most people actually preach AGAINST it.

Tumblr is both good and bad. Some things posted there have valid points, but there's just a lot of people who are like "lol burn all whites and cisgenders," which is wrong yeah. I think it's a case of a few bad eggs spoil the whole dozen.

note where I said "the SJW side of it" - i.e. those exact blogs which you mentioned

Haruhitastic a dit :

Doitsudoitsu a dit :VoirMasquer

Saelus a dit :VoirMasquer

mynerdyways a dit :VoirMasquer

The social medias of today are slowly going to destroy our world as we know it.

Most of them are okay, but Tumblr is dragging everyone down into a very scary place.

Tumblr really needs to be burned. The SJW side of it anyway, which is just one big, horrifically intolerant echo chamber that encourages the romanticisation of mental illness.

Uh no lol
As someone with a mental illness who browses Tumblr regularly, I can tell you that for the most part, no. It's not really "encouraged" except for certain types of blogs. But it's not all of them. Most people actually preach AGAINST it.

Tumblr is both good and bad. Some things posted there have valid points, but there's just a lot of people who are like "lol burn all whites and cisgenders," which is wrong yeah. I think it's a case of a few bad eggs spoil the whole dozen.

There's still a large portion of "bad eggs" and I dare say these particular eggs are especially rancid. No one's saying Tumblr in its entirety is bad, just there is indeed a portion of it that cultivates extreme insanity, which includes legitimately encouraging and cultivating mental illness and extreme bigotry.

Doitsudoitsu a dit :

note where I said "the SJW side of it" - i.e. those exact blogs which you mentioned

Maybe I follow the wrong SJWs but I haven't encountered that. The ones I was talking about are the "sad/goth" blogs.

Saelus a dit :

No one's saying Tumblr in its entirety is bad,

Saelus a dit :

mynerdyways a dit :VoirMasquer

The social medias of today are slowly going to destroy our world as we know it.

Most of them are okay, but Tumblr is dragging everyone down into a very scary place.

This sounds like a heavy generalisation.

Haruhitastic a dit :

Doitsudoitsu a dit :VoirMasquer

note where I said "the SJW side of it" - i.e. those exact blogs which you mentioned

Maybe I follow the wrong SJWs but I haven't encountered that. The ones I was talking about are the "sad/goth" blogs.

our definitions of the word are probably different, but I tend to agree with the most popular urban dictionary definition

Sorry for not being specific in a one-lined comment. P: I assumed most people were able to understand which part of Tumblr I was talking about without me needing to go on a rant about the cesspools.