Internet access has become more than a luxury. It is a necessity. The average teenager spends a minimum of two or three hours daily'surfing the web'. The Internet has become the most popular source for information, entertainment and communication.

While its benefits are obvious, there are several adverse effects in young people having unrestricted access to the internet. It is undeniable that the internet provides a lot of advantages, however it is necessary to examine the negative consequences of internet usage.

One of the most obvious and frequently mentioned dangers of using the internet is that it exposes children to pornography and other types of unsuitable adult content. Children sometimes stumble accross these sites accidently. There are 'internet nannies' that can be installed to ensure that children only view suitable content but most parents are unaware of this facility and more often than not, they have no idea about what sites their children access.

Another disadvantage about using the internet is its addictive nature. Children get easily addicted to online games etc and miss out on most of their childhood. On a more serious note; addiction to the computer can even cause anti-social tendencies making it difficult for children to intergrate into society as adults.

Children are vulnarable and more trusting. Certain applications like 'facebook' and MSN allow children to come into contact with complete strangers. Some who may be dangerous and perverted.
Another disadvantage of using the internet is that it promotes indolence. Now, instead of borrowing books from the library and doing your research and writing your answer, you can simply 'google it'. Most people see no harm in the easy access to information that the internet provides. They do not take into consideration the fact the most of the information provided on the web is inaccurate, biased and unreliable. Also easy access to information has resulted in most children resorting to plagiarism.
Earlier, if a child wanted to find out the answer to a question, they would read a book that dealt with the subject and end up learning a lot more about the topic that what they needed. Now, a child can just find the answer online. While it may be a lot easier and more convinient – their breadth of knowledge is significantly limited.

In conclusion, we see that while the internet provides us with many benefits and advantages, parents need to excersise a certain amount of caution when allowing their children to access the web.
