The growth of the Internet as a pop cultural medium poses a danger to youth. Teenagers could seriously end up getting hurt online without them realizing it. Online web pages such as MySpace can seriously harm teenagers. It could lead to dangerous online predators, horrible health problems, and it can be very addictive. MySpace is a perfect website for predators to prey on teenagers. It is simple for predators to manipulate and trick teens into thinking that they know them or a friend of theirs.
Predators make contact with teens through conversations in chat rooms, instant messaging, e-mail, or discussion boards. Teens can easily post enough information about themselves to be abducted. An online predator looking at the teens page has enough information to arrive at their door. Some teens use peer support online forums to discuss their problems and predators often go to these areas to look for victims. They gradually try to seduce their targets through kindness, affection, attention, and even gifts. Predators devote a lot of time and money to this effort.
They usually know the latest interests of teens. They also listen to and sympathize with the teens problems. Then gradually introducing them to sexual content during their conversations or by showing them sexually explicit material. Therefore, the internet can lead to trusting complete strangers, who are predators and sharing intimate details with them quickly. The internet can cause serious health problems for teens. Teens staring at the computer screens can cause strains to their eyes which can lead to Tendonitis. Tendonitis is caused by repetitive strain injury due to rapid movements.
Staring at the computer screen can also cause Myopia which is also called nearsightedness i. It is a condition in which the length of the eye is too long, causing light rays to focus in front of the retina rather than on it. This can result in blurred distance vision. Using the internet can also cause laziness in teens with a less desire for exercise, and may be the cause of obesity. ii There are many risks and complications with being obese. Some of them are: risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and respiratory problems.
Using the internet can isolate teens, and cause emotional problems. Too much time on the internet can cause a weaker connection between relationships. This could lead to declines in social involvement and increases in loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Therefore, teens that spend more time online have a greater chance of having health risks. Teens spending hours on the internet might eventually become addicted. Like addiction to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or caffeine, internet addiction has symptoms of withdrawal, mood changes, and a difference in social relationships.
Teens that are addicted to the internet will require increasing amounts of time online in order to feel satisfied. Relationships in the real world may be neglected, while those in the virtual world increase in importance. One type of internet addiction is Net-gaming, such as online casinos, e-auctions, and online shopping. This could lead to identity theft because hackers might steal credit-card numbers and other personal information. Another type of internet addiction is Cyber-Relational addictions.
They are online relationships in chat rooms which become more important than relationships with family and friends. Cybersexual addiction is a third type of internet addiction. It is when teens view pornography online. Teens that have a cybersexual addiction spend most of their time viewing, downloading, or trading online pornography. They might also participate in adult fantasy with much older members. By doing this, it could lead teens to send pornographic pictures or videos of themselves to other online users.
Therefore, internet addiction can lead teens to take part in activities online that are hard to put out of your mind. In conclusion, the virtual world can be incredibly harmful to adolescents. It could make them the victims of dangerous predators and put them in an extremely unsafe situation. It possibly will cause health risks for teens. The virtual world may perhaps lead to an addiction or obsession, which would make it difficult for the teenager to escape from. These problems could turn the teens world completely upside.