The Internet Essay, Research Paper

Information has long been sought out by many generations throughout time. It is a

powerful tool that has often been hard to find, until the evolution of the Internet. The Internet has

brought the world to the fingertips of millions world-wide. What used to take days or years to

find, a person with the knowledge and ability may find in mere minutes of searching on the

Internet. But along with the value it brings, there are also many dark sides. Pornography,

stalkers, hackers, and other forms of evil are also prowling the Internet, many times on children.

Millions of households are now connected to the information superhighway, with many of

the parents ?computer illiterate.? These parents rely on their children?s knowledge of computers

and the Internet to show them the ropes. Often times the freedom that the children are given on

the Internet is put to good use in educational activities, such as games, chatting, and tutorials on

any subject that they may encounter in school. Parents often supervise their children while they

are on-line, but there are some times that children are able to get connected, such as when the

children have the computer in their room.

Without the proper supervision, children can often times find vulgar material on the

Internet. They might innocently click on a banner that is advertising on a web-site that looks safe,

but often times these banners can be a link to a site with elicit material. The children were drawn

in by the attractive banner to a site that is not meant to be viewed by them. This is also true for

many of the chat rooms that they might wander into where pedophiles may be lurking, often lying

about their age to get close to the children.

Although there are many misleading and improper sites on the Internet, the overall value

cannot be looked past. The information provided to children of today is far greater than what was

offered just a few years ago. Children are now given an advantage that many adults did not have.

I believe that children growing up in a home with and Internet connection have a definite

advantage, as long as they are properly supervised and warned of the evils lurking in cyberspace.