Since its advent, internet has completely changed our lifestyle. It has converted world into a global village. It has substantially helped business, science, art and culture, etc. But, with it has also brought in many evils, just like any other technological advancement.
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First let us know what exactly is internet, open interconnection of computer networks that enables the computers and the programmes they run to communicate directly. There are term is usually applied to the global, publicly accessible network, called simply the Internet or Net. By early 2000, more than 1,00,000 networks and around 100 million users were connected via the Internet.
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Internets are constructed using virtually any kind of electronic transmission medium, such as optical-fibre or copper-wire, telephone lines, radio or microwave channels. They can also connect almost any kind of computer or operating system; and they are operated in such a way as to be “self-aware” of their capabilities.
The great scale and universality of the public Internet results in its use to connect many other kinds of computer networks and services – including on-line information and shopping services – via systems called gateways. As a result of all these features, Internets are an ideal means of building a very robust universal information infrastructure throughout the world. The rapid growth of on-line shops, information services, and electronic business applications is testament to the inherent flexibility of the Net.
Chatting on the Internet, which enables people as well as children to communicate, without revealing their true identity, is probably the most dangerous area on the Internet. By engaging in chat, you open yourself up to all sorts of exploitation, and personal harm. Chatting brings people closer, which may not always be a good thing. Offensive dialogue and adult conversation during chat also influences children to use inappropriate language at home as well as in school. Because of the interactive nature of chatting, it is most likely activity on-line through which children may be harmed. Too much time on-line limits a child’s well-rounded development by taking the place of friends, schoolwork, sports and other activities. While on the Internet, it is probable that one will get carried away and lose track of time. Since being on the Internet is so time consuming, It is possible for anyone to get addicted. Any parent that values his child’s mental and physical well-being should avoid this.
Easy access to sites promoting hatred, violence, drugs, cults, and other things not appropriate for children, is another great hazard of the Internet. Besides offering opportunities and access to unsavoury activities, these sites also, quite often present misleading and inaccurate information. In most cases, parents cannot censor what their children read on-line, what sites they visit, what kind of people they chat with, or the things they purchase. Accessing the Internet means accessing violent material, by means of reading and watching. Basically, a parent does not have control over what their child does. There are no restrictions on marketing products such as alcohol, tobacco, and arms to children – marketing deceptively collects personal information from kids in order to sell products to them or their parents. Requests for personal information for contests and surveys that are used in unauthorized ways often may occur.
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By submitting personal information in order to purchase goods or services through the Internet, we are exposing ourselves to hackers. Hackers illegally obtain private files stored on computers. The hardest part to deal with, is the fact that you probably won’t know it is happening. People assume they can’t be hacked because “It just doesn’t happen to me”. This is wrong. People all around the globe do indeed get exploited, have their privacy invaded, and are victims of fraud.
In conclusion, no parental control tool is 100% reliable. Not only do tools involuntarily allow access to some improper material and block access to some valuable information, but also savvy children may be able to get around the controls, Accessing improper material may be harmful to a child’s social, physical and mental state of health.