The Internet – Good or Bad

(Prof. Ranjit Abraham, HOD- CSE & IT, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, 2002)

Today there is hardly any adolescent child who hasn’t heard about the Internet. Many
regard the Internet as the single most important invention of the 20th Century. Like all
great inventions the Internet can be also be viewed as having good and bad. Is an
automobile good or bad? It is hard to say, isn't it? Maybe you have had wonderful luck
with automobiles and you would answer positively. Maybe you have had something
tragic happen in an automobile and you would suddenly cry, "No, a car is a terrible
thing." It simply depends on your perspective and experience.

The Internet is nothing more than a connection of Computers spread across the Globe. No
one knows exactly how many computers are connected to the Internet, although estimates
are ongoing. It is certain, however, that these numbers are in the millions and are
increasing at a rapid rate. No one is in charge of the Internet. There are Organizations,
which develop technical aspects of this network, but no governing body is in control.
Private companies own the Internet backbone and it is through these the Internet traffic
flows. One could imagine the Internet as a big party. This party involves large groups of
people talking to each other. The entire group of people at this party is analogous to what
is called the "Internet".

At the simplest level an individual needs a Desktop Computer (also called Personal
Computer or in short PC) with a modem and a telephone connection. When you
"connect" to the Internet, it's like you are entering the party. So, where are you going to
go? Or, more specifically, who are you going to talk to? For most people the "Browser"
(A tool that mostly comes with a PC) is the method of choice for "navigating" the
Internet. Think of the Browser as your eyes and ears for speaking and listening at the
party. When you're ready to talk to someone (i.e. connect to another computer), you
should try and remember the name of the person. This remembering of the person's name
is similar to typing in the "address" of the computer you wish to connect to. Once you
find who you want to talk to (i.e. your computer has made a connection), you can start a
conversation. In addition you'll be able to see other friends or interests for whom this
person has information to give you, and so you can jump topics and find out all he has to
offer called "Internet surfing". You could also just yell out what you wish to talk about
and hope somebody out there wants to talk about the same thing (this is analogous to
"searching" the Internet using a "search-engine"). Once you find someone else willing to
talk to you about your new topic, you can walk over to him and start a new conversation.

Today we have to deal with such issues as hate mails, credit card cheatings, Internet
pornography, and Internet addiction. Up until recently these problems didn't even exist,
now they affect thousands if not millions of people across the Globe. It is very real and
also no one knows the full extent of either problem.

The Internet allows people to do things that they never would have thought of doing in
the past. For example estimates show that there are presently over 150,000 pornographic
related sites on the Internet and the number is growing. A large number of Cults and Hate
groups are also easily advocating themselves to the vulnerable particularly adolescents
and children. Men, women, boys and girls are being sucked into such evil.

It is appropriate to look at some of the risks that go with the Internet. These risks cover
both the child and the parent.
1. Exposure to Inappropriate Material. One risk is that a child may be exposed to
inappropriate material that is sexual, hateful, or violent in nature, or encourages
activities that are dangerous or illegal.
2. Physical Molestation. Another risk is that, while online, a child might provide
information or arrange an encounter that could risk his or her safety or the safety
of other family members. Pedophiles have used E-mail, bulletin boards, and chat
rooms to gain a child’s confidence and then arrange a face-to-face meeting.
3. Harassment. A third risk is that a child might encounter E-mail or chat/bulletin
board messages that are harassing, demeaning, or belligerent.
4. Legal and Financial. There is also the risk that a child could do something that has
negative legal or financial consequences such as giving out a parent’s credit card
number.

Let's now look at ten ways we can reduce these risks. While children need a certain
amount of privacy, they also need parental involvement and supervision in their daily
lives. The same general parenting skills that apply to the "real world" also applies while
being on the Internet.

Here are given some guidelines for Parents.

1. Never give out identifying information - home address, school name, or telephone
number - in a public message such as chat or bulletin boards (newsgroup), and be
sure you’re dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust
before giving out this information via E-mail. Think carefully before revealing
any personal information such as age, marital status, or financial information.
2. Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another computer user
without parental permission. If a meeting is arranged, make the first one in a
public place, and be sure to accompany your child. This is the old "Don't talk to
strangers" rule brought up to date.
3. Become Computer Literate! Get to know the Internet and any services your
family uses.
4. Learn how to check your computer system for sites recently visited, "cookies,"
email locations and graphic files that may contain pornographic material.
5. Locate your family computer in a highly visible area of your home, NOT in a
bedroom or area where family members rarely go.
6. Be extra careful when entering a CHAT session. They are loaded with dangers.
Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can’t see
or even hear the person it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him- or
herself. Thus, someone indicating that "she" is a "12-year-old girl" could in reality
be a 40-year-old man.
 7. Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene,
belligerent, threatening, or make you feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children
to tell you if they encounter such messages.
8. Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use. Discuss these rules and post
them near the computer as a reminder. Remember to monitor your children’s
compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time your
children spend on the computer. A child’s (or parent's) excessive use of online
services or the Internet, especially late at night, may be a clue that there is a
potential problem.
9. Remember that personal computers and online services should not be used as
electronic baby-sitters.

Similarly also Children can have some guidelines for using the Internet.
1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number,
parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school
without my parents’ permission
2. I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me
feel uncomfortable.
3. I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first
checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it
is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.
4. I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with
my parents.
5. I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will
decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be
online, and appropriate area for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break
these rules without their permission
6. I will not give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other
than my parents
7. I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is
against the law.

With a little care every member of the family can now have the most fruitful and
pleasurable experience of using the Internet.

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