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.