Kids Online

Children spending too much time online has been a hot topic ever since I began middle school. I remember the days of AOL Instant Messenger and other forms of internet chatting being the way young people wasted time on the internet. My own mother would limit me to 2 hours a night or less, arguing that if she didn't limit me than I'd never get my homework done. Today there is so much more out there on the Internet. With Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, Hulu, etc. on the Web people are learning to multitask or collaborate with the interactive Internet. Even right now as I'm typing I am listening to Pandora Radio on the Web.

It's strange to think that within the span of 8-6 years the Internet has expanded to this point. The problem is that the more the Internet and/or media expands, the more people disconnect themselves from the real world. I can confidently say this after reflecting on how I spend my own day and seeing how my friends spend theirs. On average, my friends spend 3 hours on Facebook, 2 hours on Skype, 20 minutes on Blackboard, 3 hours on Hulu, and 6 hours listening to iTunes. Though much of this is done while multitasking, much of the day has gone while we're all on the Web. With the trend of connecting on the Internet rising and the rate of obesity, depression, and poor grades in school rising, it is obvious that there is a connection. Everyone is disconnecting themselves from the real world and living their lives via the Internet. Yes, the Internet can be helpful, but it also leads to disconnecting families. You can even see it on T.V. Shows from back in the day before computers and cell phones show kids spending their time playing sports or being active with a group of kids. Now when you watch T.V., there is always the little boy playing computer games, the daughter text or talking on her cell, the father watching T.V., and the mother working on the computer. The families don't even eat dinner together or eat with the television off. I think that the rise in technology has destroyed the family dynamic.

The article in the Times reflects my feelings towards kids and the growing use of technology. Sure when I was 10 all I wanted to do was chat on AIM, but I'm so glad that my parents limited me. I was able to go out for sports teams and be active, meeting friends, instead of wasting my day on the computer. It has really paid off in the long run, for example, branching out in college. My generation has social skills that the generation after us won't get because of how dependent they are on the Internet.
The reality, the amount of time children spend online or on their phones is dangerous and unhealthy.