Adolescent Communication and the Net

The Internet for Adolescents, Positive or Negative?

A new media age has brought on a new question surrounding our children. Does the Internet and friend networking sites benefit children or do they put them in danger? After pages of research we as a concerned audience can make that decision. Everyday, more adolescents are using the Internet more and more to build social relationships with other people. But at what age is it appropriate to allow children to navigate on the computer communicating with people? Pew Internet & American Life Project (as cited by Bower, 2006) estimates, “Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. youngsters, ages 12 to 17, used the Internet in 2004” (p. 27). To adolescents the Internet provides an enchanting place to meet and communicate with people. Bower (2006) goes on to site that, “six reports in the May Developmental Psychology, indicate that the Internet holds a special appeal for young people; that’s because the Internet provides an unprecedented number and variety of meeting places, from message boards to instant messaging to so-called social networking sites such as Myspace” (p.27). The Internet simply can’t be denied as a revolutionary new way to communicate with people whether they are across the street or across the world. Although with all variables considered can the internet be a valuable communication tool?
The Internet poses an inherent danger for adolescents because of the spatial distance there is when communicating to another person. The specific features of the Internet-that is, its anonymity, reduced visual and auditory cues, the insignificance of physical distance and time, and the greater control over one’s self-presentation-facilitate online contact with stranger (Peters, Schouten & Valkenburg, 2006). Predatory strangers obviously hold the most danger to our youngsters when they are on the Internet. Peters et al. (2006) additionally note, “Adolescents are the defining users of the Internet. They not only spend more time online than adults, but they integrate Internet-based communication technologies more strongly into their social lives (p.526). The Internet keeps such a social distance from two communicators that it serves as an opportune arena for predators to take advantage of our young innocent. If the world sought for more restriction and member disclosure in places like chat rooms the Internet could been seen as a great place for children.
There can be a positive side to adolescents communicating on the Internet. It is undeniable that the Internet gives youngsters the opportunity to communicate with people they never could have without the Internet. Valkenburg, Peter & Schouten (2006) quote, “The opportunities for adolescents to form and maintain relationships on the Internet have multiplied in the past few years. Social networking sites have rapidly gained prominence as venues to relationship formation” (p.584). Children have the opportunity to make a lot of friends in different places as well as their hometown. The more friends’ adolescents have the more self-worth and self-esteem they feel. Friend networking sites lend themselves exceptionally well to the investigation of the social consequences of Internet communication. After all, peer acceptance and interpersonal feedback on the self, both important features of friend network sites, are vital predicators of social self-esteem and well-being in adolescents (Valkenburg et al., 2006)
Internet communication as it pertains to adolescents will forever be a disputed issue. Like capital punishment and abortion you could start to see this issue rising surfacing in our lawmakers agenda’s. The main reason why it hasn’t is because the issue is so new. As for every tough issue there are two valid points to each side. What it takes now is strict monitoring and privileges to keep children safe.


References
Bower, Bruce. “Growing up Online.” Science News 169.24 (2006) 27-31. EBSCO. Arizona
State University, Tempe. 5 April 2007 <http://www.asu.edu >.
Peter Jochen, Valkenburg Patti M, Schouten Alexander P. “Characteristics and Motives of
Adolescents Talking with Strangers on the Internet.” CyberPsychology & Behavior 9.5
(2006) 526-530. EBSCO. Arizona State University, Tempe. 5 April 2007
<http://www.asu.edu>.
Valkenburg Patti M, Peter Jochen, Schouten Alexander P. “Friend Networking Sites and Their
Relationship to Adolescents’ Well-Being and Social Self-Esteem.” CyberPsychology &
Behavior 9.5 (2006) 584-590. EBSCO. Arizona State University, Tempe. 5 April 2007
<http://www.asu.edu>.