We are in the midst of the Information Age, also known as the Computer Age, the Digital Age, or the New Media Age. This era has coined this name for a very good reason: technology is at the root of today’s society. This technology affects the entire population, including each and every one of our children.

94% of kids under the age of 18 have access to the internet.

This exposure can have many positive and negative effects on the kids of today’s world. Continue reading to find out what those effects are!

Positives:

This exposure can have many positive and negative effects on the kids of today’s world. Continue reading to find out what those effects are!

Learning Aid
The beauty of the internet is the plethora of unlimited information at your very fingertips. Whether it is plain old Google, online classes, or educational games, the internet holds numerous ways to learn new skills.

Future Tech Careers
Familiarizing children with technology at an early age can help them to develop a knack for tech-oriented jobs that may fit them in the future.

Multitasking
Studies show that using technology at a young age can help to develop a stronger multitasking ability.

Independence
When children have the ability to find the answers to their own questions, it helps them to develop a stronger sense of self-sufficiency. It also encourages children to follow independent trains of thought and pursue their interests, which can aid in academic confidence and developing new hobbies.

Builds Community
Online relationships can be a less intimidating form of communication for children who are more prone to social anxiety. They have the ability to connect with other children who have similar interests and hobbies without the intimidation of in-person conversation. However...

We all know that some online communities are more dangerous than others, which leads into the negatives of children’s exposure to the internet.

Negatives:

Social Skills
When children begin to depend on online communication, they tend to lose their ability to communicate in the real world. If children start to prefer communication through a screen rather than to a face, it may lead them to avoid face-to-face interaction altogether. This can negatively affect their ability to pick up on social skills.

Stranger Danger
There is always the chance that there is somebody on a children’s platform who is not supposed to be. It is all too easy for strangers with bad intentions to trick children into giving them personal information.

Inappropriate Content
You never know what your kids could be stumbling across on the internet. The human brain is not fully developed until about 20 years of age, so inappropriate content can have a strong developmental effect on children.

Health Issues
The human body is not meant to sit in front of a screen all day long. This exposure can have effects on posture, eye strain, and sleeping patterns.

These positives and negatives can make the choice of how much internet you expose your child to quite challenging. However, choosing to always take the right precautions while also allowing the positives of the internet to influence your child can be highly effective in doing wonders for your child, their social life, and their education!