Online Activities of Children and Parental Responsibility
Activities of Those Addicted to the Internet
What do those who are addicted to the Internet do while online? According to the Stanford researchers, Internet-dependent individuals look at pornography, gamble, visit chat rooms and forums, do online shopping, spend time on special-interest websites, check e-mail, and play video games.
Addiction Horror Stories
Just how serious are Internet-related addictions? Although most of the addiction horror stories I have encountered pertain to the more "typical" addictions such as drug abuse and alcoholism, other Internet-related dependencies such as "video game addiction" are starting to share the headlines. For instance, there's various stories circulating the Internet about young teens who play online video games 18 or more hours per day.
As disconcerting as this is, the most shocking and disturbing Internet-based addiction story I have ever heard concerns a person who had "forum addiction." More to the point, in 2005, a 54-year-old male, unable to take a break from his online world, died from starvation. How was this possible you ask? Easy. For 7 weeks before his death, he posted comments into one forum after another every 30 seconds, while refusing to eat.
Should Online Addictive Activities Become Illegal?
Let's look at the facts. Some Internet users are addicted to blogging, some to forums, and still others to video games. The vast majority of people who go online to post comments on forums, read blogs, or play video games, however, do not get "hooked" on these activities. A similar argument, moreover, can be made for various adult activities such as online sex, porn, gambling. To eliminate the possible danger of addiction to these online activities, should they become illegal?
Responsible Solutions
Obviously, parents who are concerned about their children do not want them to become addicted to video games, blogs, forums, or to drugs, alcohol, or porn for that matter. Keep in mine, however, that the easiest solution is not always the the best or the most responsible. For instance, in the case of addiction to Internet-related activities, the easiest "solution" would be if these online activities did not exist. This, however, is NOT the most responsible response to the problem of online addiction.
Parental Responsibility
Since some filth and garbage do exist online (along with a tremendous amount of healthy, educational, and beneficial information), the major source of responsibility regarding what children view and do online has to come from parents. To drive this point home more strongly consider this. If parents stopped saying "No" to their 5-year-old children, for instance, and simply let them do whatever they wanted, most of these young children would not make it to their 6th birthday. The point: children, especially those who are extremely young, need a lot of guidance by their parents if they are to grow, learn, and develop.
Conclusion
Simply put, parents need to supervise, manage, and monitor the online activities of their children. To help understand this more fully, let's look at another activity that American children spend a relatively large amount of time doing, namely watching TV. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics website, children in the US spend approximately 4 hours every day watching TV. While there may be some room for debate about letting children watch TV unsupervised for long periods of time, such is not the case with the Internet. Indeed, with the increasing availability, allure, and seduction of online sex, porn, and gambling, and the multitude of stories about teens and preteens who play online video games many hours per day, however, there is no room for debate about children who spend time online: parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online-period.
Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
Related Tags: internet, online, children, gambling, parents, parenting, sex, video games, porn, addiction, responsibility
Denny Soinski, Ph.D, writes about alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol testing, alcoholism, alcohol recovery, alcohol treatment, and alcohol rehab. For more information, please visit alcohol testing programs right away!
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Top Riding Toys For 201
Children love the excitement and adventure that can be found by cruising on their own ride on toy. W - Picking the Best Size Bike For Your Child
Bicycling can be a great way for your child to get a little extra exercise. Learning to ride a bike - How to Help Your Kids Through Difficult Events
Even as a child or adolescent we may face challenging times when things seem to be crashing down aro - How to Make Your Home Safe For a Young Child
New parents often spend weeks preparing their home for the arrival of their new baby. While there is - 4 Things to Know Before You Buy a Diaper Bag
Some things to keep in mind before you purchase the diaper bag are the following: material, the cost - Exciting Food Suggestions For Kids
Making kids eat healthy food is a big task every mother goes through. With kids pre-occupied with pl - Add Modern Touches to Your Toddler's Room With Modern Toddler Bedding
Decorating a child's room presents parents with several different challenges simultaneously: Choosin - When Should You Be Concerned About Your Baby's Health?
Your baby's health is one of the most important and delicate things that you have to keep abreast of - Having a Happy and Healthy Baby With the Benefits of Baby Massage
Mothers have known for centuries the benefits of baby massage, the world over. In many Asian countri - Diaper Bags And Their Uses
Parents usually need to take diaper bags along with them if they out on a trip. Especially, if the b
Most viewed articles in this category:
- The Perfect Parent...Who Are We Kidding?
I get the feeling that there are a lot of moms and dads out there that feel they're not measuring up - Partial Breastfeeding - Should I Even Bother?
For some women, feeding a baby with breastmilk alone is not possible. The reasons for this vary. For - Skateboarding In The Eighties To The Present
Skateboarding traces its roots to the seventies but it really reached the peak of its popularity in - How Breastfeeding Benefits A Daddy
You know that breastfeeding is best for mother and child, but what's in it for Dad? Isn't he going t - Child-Appropriate Costumes: Violence, Sexuality, And Insensitivity
So your daughter wants to be Wonder Woman for Hallowe'en, or your son wants to be Batman. They're bo - The Evolution Of Vitamin B5 For Acne
I came across the benefits of Vitamin B5 6 years ago whilst searching for an acne treatment that act - Depression And Teens - Six Signs That Your Child May Be Suffering From Depression
Most people are now aware of the seriousness of depression. This has become much more common and mor - Parenting Teenager - Take Time For Your Teen!
BookWire's "Year in Reviews Magazine," December 2006 issue, lists a review of my book "Help Me With - Why It's Important To Follow A Healthy Diet When Pregnant
Pregnancy is one of the most physically enduring times in our lives, and it is more important than e - Sleep Separation And Your Child
It seems harmless enough, lying down with your child while he goes to sleep, but it could be that sl