Helping children go through Internet detox

Evaries Rosita ,  Contributor ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 05/11/2008 12:35 PM  |  Supplement

Thanks to the advanced technology we are enjoying now, some of the age-old challenges our kids face - school assignments, report writings, building self-confidence - can now be eased by a computer.

Today's school children are Net-generation children who are already engulfed in hi-tech devices and are used to getting information instantly from the Net. Even without frequent assistance from parents, children have the confidence to go online, play games, browse and search websites relevant to their needs. Often all this is done by themselves.

Surprisingly, in most Internet-installed households, children have become more tech-savvy than their parents. Getting homework help and doing online research is something that children with an online connection can accomplish.

The boom in the Net-use, however, brings not only a pleasant effect, but also unpleasant one. For some parents whose kids are not familiar with computers, there are worries that their kids will be unable to operate one, and that they will be unemployable if they are not computer-literate.

For these worried parents, they are often valiantly trying to do everything possible to find assistance to help their children become computer-literate. Fear is indeed what motivates parents to install the Internet at home and to push for wired schools.

It is not wrong to encourage children to be computer-literate. As a matter of fact, all parents and teachers want children to be familiar with the computer at early ages.

Some believe that early introduction to technology can develop a sense of self-esteem. Furthermore, early acquaintance with technology offers educational benefits for children. They can, for example, use the Net as an invaluable learning tool for exploration. Exploring with something new or something that the child has not encountered before can arouse his inquisitiveness and enhance critical thinking skills.

The sites offered by the Net are indeed helpful resources for children to find information that books cannot provide. As new online information is being added and posted every day on the Net, children can gain a worthwhile educational experience by sorting and analyzing different perspectives from different people. This can help sharpen a child's analytical thinking.

More importantly, the Internet allows parents as well as teachers to encourage children to pursue their own individual interests.

However, it is necessary for both parents and teachers to know that they cannot simply take for granted that everything their children are surfing on the Net is useful for their needs.

How savvy a child is and how sophisticated he is in surfing the Web, the idea of parenting in this Net age should not be overlooked. Parents' watchful eyes are still necessary to safeguard children from browsing sites that are not appropriate for their age.

As censorship is almost impossible to impose through Web providers, junk and misleading information as well as sites with adult content await children. Thus, parents' continuous guidance is vital to ensure that their children are doing well with what they surf on the Net.

The most important thing is to get children to apply a critical eye to what they read online and to become an astute judge in selecting the reliability of the information they need to use.

In this cyber-age era, it is unfortunate that many parents, due to their hectic activities outside the home, are unaware that their beloved children have been so pampered with the cybernetic appeal that they forget their main duty as a learner. Parents are always the latecomers in knowing this.

Apart from the educational benefits of modern technology like the Internet, parents are not supposed to be ignorant of the devastating effects the Net may have on their children.

An abrupt change in behavior, unwillingness to participate in family gatherings, self-isolation and laziness are some probable symptoms caused by excessive exposure to the Net.

Parents must know that the Net is an asocial machine. It is of great help for learning exploration, but it cannot fully duplicate the wonderfully rich world of real social interaction. It provides up-to-date information, but it cannot instill a lifelong love of learning. And it is interactive, but it is non-interpersonal.

A study published in early 2000 by the Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society at Stanford University revealed that current patterns of Web usage are causing many Americans to spend less time with friends and family, resulting in social isolation.

Given the potential harmful properties of the Net, parents need to help their children go through the "Internet detox,": grabbing the children's attention from the screen to more interpersonal and useful hands-on activities. As parents are competing with the Net, they need to be pretty imaginative.

Knowing children's interests is the key before parents decide on the activities they design for their children to learn. Enjoyable and engaging activities such as reconstructing building blocks, putting together jigsaw puzzles, visiting a museum, going on a picnic, and even cooking are some instances that can offer a valuable learning experience for children.

Technology can indisputably help children facilitate the learning process, but not when we count on it as a substitute for parents' personal touch.

The writer used to teach English to primary school pupils. She can be reached at evariestj@yahoo.com.

A  |   A  |   A  |    |   |    |    |    |  

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.