SSB Lecturette Series: Is Internet Eating our Childhood?

With the development of Internet in CERN labs the world saw a revolution. Things started changing instantly, letters were replaced by emails, and phone calls with video calls and the revolution never stopped rather only grew. It is true to say that internet has made the life of mankind much easier, we no longer have to wait in lines to book seats for our journey, or go to stores to buy grocery for homes, everything is just a click away. But there is other side to the coin as well. With more number of people using internet on a daily basis the life of these individuals is getting affected in both good and bad ways. As for adults internet has been nothing less than a blessing, as it makes their work easier and helps in running businesses, for the children its somewhat something else. Children today unlike the previous generations are very different.

Children today unlike the previous generations have an easy access to internet; their time is consumed by the internet sometimes over the laptops at other times by smartphones. Parks and playgrounds which were once occupied by school children and adults are empty, online video games have taken their place. Instead of meeting up and sharing a laugh, groups are made on social networking sites like Facebook and WhatsApp, hangout have replaced the social gatherings we used to have. People are busier updating their profile pictures and updating their statues over the internet that they do not find time for each other. Friendships have become virtual relationships have become shallow.

Children today do not prefer going out, instead of actually meeting people in person, they consider making friends online. Not only the social skills of children of today’s generation are taking a hit, their physical fitness levels are dropping down at dangerously fast rates. Obesity has taken over the younger generation like a storm, thus putting their life at risk in later years of life. Instead of playing games like football they prefer playing fifa online. I remember as a kid , there was a park near my home where children of my age group used to play cricket, the park was always occupied, the maali was always cursing children for destroying the plants, neighbors used to complain as the cricket ball went into their homes sometimes smashing a window or two. Now things have changed a lot, the park is empty, no one plays cricket, that road around the park where children used to cycle is always empty, I hardly see anyone playing, those swings over which children used to fight  are getting rusted.

The show doesn’t end here, children now using internet gain access to adult content online, with parents totally unaware of what their child are watching online children of today are becoming more and more obese at early ages; the childhood which was filled with innocence is lost somewhere. Children who access these sites begin to take and understand things in a wrong way, instead of openly discussing puberty and reproduction with their parents and elders, they prefer watching adult content online. Their psychologies get affected forever and sadly their personalities get shaped in an entirely different way. These children after reaching adulthood consider women only as sex objects. It’s not the person who is at fault, there is good in all of us, it’s the grooming which makes the person what he is.

In my opinion parents, teachers and the elder members of the society should consider this matter very seriously, in this race to run ahead of each other we are forgetting that children are the ones who are getting affected the most, our businesses might be getting better, we might be earning more money then we used to but only at the cost of our children. They are losing their childhood and innocence. Parents should and must restrict the sites their children access, if they don’t know, then they must learn how to. I don’t say that children must not use internet as it would be foolish to say, today as education is becoming more and more competitive internet usage is a necessity to cope up with the increasing demands of the education system, but limiting the usage to only what is required could counter the impact internet is having on children, the opinions may wary but sadly the facts say the same story.

  

About the Author: Shekhar Tanwar is a computer science engineer who is working with a renowned MNC and is a die heart defense aspirant. Guitar is his passion and he is very firm believer of physical fitness. This article is a way to help defense aspirants to present his critical views on the topic, on the forum so that collective exchange of thoughts can take place.