Good Example Of Research Paper On There Should Be An Age Restriction To Use Internet

Abstract

In the contemporary world, the usage of internet as an information-driven and interactive medium has brought a significant effect, both positive and negative, to everyone. Given this ever-growing extensiveness of the internet especially in the lives of the adolescents and youth various studies have shown possibilities of the adverse effects (Wu et al. 2013). The studies show that the existence of the addictive usage of internet will adversely affect the lives of young people and adolescent across the globe if the restrictive measures are not employed (Khan et al. 2014). Among other many side effects of the internet addiction, the psychological depression is the common effect among the youths (Akhter, 2013 and Asiri, 2013). The internet addiction is accompanied by the creation of the virtual communities among the youth and adolescents, which keeps the affected people away from the real society (Romano et al. 2013). Therefore, the issue of the internet addiction should be given serious attention to providing the age restriction to the internet use. Other studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between the excessive internet use and the suicidal cases. People who are depressed are influenced by the excessive use of internet to search for the suicidal techniques available on the internet (Sueki et al. 2014). Although, the internet usage is dominated by the adverse effects, there are significant effects on the young people associated with the internet. Studies indicate that the young people among other groups benefits from the mental health programs that are associated with the use of internet (Boydell et al. 2014).

Introduction

In the contemporary world, internet has become a fundamental factor that is associated with a variety of benefits such as flexibility in the working place. As a result, the number of the people exposed to the internet has increased significantly in the last few decades. For instance, a study conducted by Wu et al. (2013) indicated that the Internet users in China increased from 0.62 million to 126 million at a period of ten years since 1997. However, despite a wide range of benefits associated with the internet, there is a dark side of it. The introduction and innovation of the internet platform in the twenty-first century have adversely affected the users especially the young people. The excessive usage of internet is highly associated with the results of different psychological, social, and physical disorders among the young people.
The increasing habit of spending time on computers at an alarming rate has raised questions about whether the internet technology has an adverse effect on the children. Various studies have indicated that the internet addiction have resulted in adverse effects ranging from depression to suicidal cases among the young people. Most of the children across the world have computers that they are using for different functions such as chatting, doing homework and playing game. Therefore, there is a likelihood that the children are at a risk of being addicted to computers and hence the side effects such as depression and suicides. As a result, there should be a restrictive measure to mitigate this problem for the better tomorrow. For this reason, this paper supports the argument that there should be the age restriction to the internet usage to mitigate various adverse effect of the internet on the young people.
The age restriction to the use of the internet should be put into place in order to curb the internet addiction and negative effects of internet to the young people. Studies have provided evidence that there is a positive relationship between excessive use of internet and depression. According Khan et al. (2014), the addition of the internet usage has a positive relationship with being psychologically depressed. The study suggests that there “is a significant relationship between anxiety and depression in childhood with internet addiction in adolescent” (289). This has been considered as the dark side of the internet that has raised social and medical issues of whether internet affects behavior of an individual. Therefore, the issue of the internet addiction should be taken more serious when determining whether to restrict the age to the use of the internet. As a result, young people should be restricted to the use of the internet because they are intellectually or emotionally unable to handle the adverse effect of the internet. Khan et al. (2014) indicated that that when the young people are exposed to the internet, their excessive use of internet is anticipated to cause addiction and consequently depression. The study as also added that the internet addiction results in different psychological, social, and physical disorders among the students.
Khan et al. (2014) found out that although there are other factors such as gender differences that are associated with internet addiction and depression, age factor has a significant relationship. Therefore, the young people are more associated with depression from the internet addiction compared to the old people. For instance, the data collected indicated that 34 percent of the students are facing the problem of the internet addiction. This illustrates that in order to reduce and prevent depression among the young people, the internet addiction should be among the factors to be attended. The internet use among the young people who cannot control themselves or who are not old enough to know the darks side of it should, therefore, be restricted. It must be noted that the internet has presented the young people with a society where they are being fed with addiction of living a virtual life.
The internet addiction among young people takes a direction of a virtual society where the young people especially the teenagers are brain drained to virtual communities. Some of the major communities that contribute to the internet addiction involve Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and Whatsapp among others. Studies have shown that the Internet addiction does not only result in the depression of the young people but also severe results such as autism trait, anxiety, and schizotypy. Romano et al. (2013) suggested that internet framework has become a brain drain among the young people and comes with adverse effects on their psychological health. For instance, the suicide instances among the young people in a different part of the world have raised questions on how these virtual communities enhance social tendencies among young people. As a result, this implies that with the increasing internet connection, the world is moving towards the untamed wilderness. The depression cases and suicidal scenarios as a result of internet addiction are expected to rise in the future if the parents would not take their responsibility to restrict internet use on children. Romano et al. provides an insight of who the excessive exposure to the internet has resulted in depression, social isolation, and anxiety among the young people. Therefore, there should be an effective measure to rescue the young people from this scenario in order to build a better tomorrow.
Moreover, Internet usage should be restricted to age since it leads to high suicidal rates. A study conducted by Sueki et.al (2014), indicates the Impact of Suicidality-Related Internet Use. Individuals who have a tendency to browse for information concerning commonly used suicide methods can be influenced to think about suicidal ideas. The access to the suicidal information remains dangerous to the young people. If children under the age of 17 are allowed to access the internet without any restriction, there is a high prevalence of undertaking the suicide option whenever they feel that everything is unfair to them. There are stories of people who have gone through the suicidal ideation in the past, and this should not be exposed to under aged individuals. According to the article, the findings showed a close relation between individuals who browsed for the suicides methods and the increased ideas to commit suicide.
An observational longitudinal study depicted an adverse effect when suicidal ideation information is disclosed on the internet (Sueki et.al, 2014). In reality, depressed people who downloaded the suicidal information were exposed to risk factors that increase the chances to commit suicides. The young individuals should be restricted from accessing such information because their depressive tendencies may cause harm. Cross-sectional studies highlight the dangers associated with obtaining the suicidal information from the internet. The best method to prevent the young individuals from the risk factors is ensuring that there is a policy to prevent minors from accessing the internet without close supervision. When this is achieved, suicidal rates related to internet usage will automatically decrease. The increase in suicidal rates is alarming, and this causes concerns about the best way to curtail such behaviors. It is regretful when a minor goes ahead to take suicidal measures because of being addicted to the internet.
Studies illustrate that the depressed individuals are more exposed to poor decision-making. The young who are hopeless and lonely should be given advice on how to cope with stress because the internet will only cause harm to their physical and mental status. Age restriction on the use of the internet cannot be underestimated. People under the age of 18 should be monitored when given a chance to access the internet to avoid suicidal-related cases caused by exposure to the internet. The internet causes harm to the minors if there lack well-developed regulations to prevent access. Therefore, I support the need to include the age restriction when it comes to access and usage of the internet. Children should be prevented from accessing the internet if the parents fail to offer close supervision.

Counter argument

Despite the disadvantages associated with the use of internet by the minors, the internet plays a significant role in the delivery of mental health services to the children and the youth. It is not advisable to parents to rule out their children from accessing the internet. A peer-reviewed article by Boydell et.al (2014) highlights how the use of internet and other technologies can be applied in the provision of mental health programs. Among the benefits associated with the use of the internet includes the prevention, assessment, counseling, diagnosis and treatment programs. The advancement of other technologies like video conferencing has also boosted the delivery of mental health services to the youth and children.
According to Boydell et.al (2014), young people prefer Internet-based applications in the treatment and mental health delivery services. The study indicated that more than 94% of children aged 4-12 preferred treatment through video conferencing than dealing with the ‘real’ doctor. When the young people communicate with health practitioners via the internet, they confide with them and open up to share information that they refuse to share in a face to face encounter. High school students are contented with the use of websites in treatment services because they feel that technology has the power to keep their privacy undisclosed. The internet creates a platform that is well structured, and this makes the young people welcome the move and seeks medical attention via the internet. The findings indicate that use of the internet and other technologies like video conferencing are also effective in the face to face interviews with health practitioners and the patients.
The literature review illustrated the potential of the Internet to improve the delivery of mental services. The internet is a platform that improves the cost-effectiveness and offers information that can be applied towards inhibition of the mental health disorders. Age restriction will prevent the young from benefiting from the mental health services. People who have access to the Internet have an opportunity to contact the health care practitioners and seek medical attention. The internet is an avenue for storage and swift retrieval of pertinent information. Most surprisingly, the young age group favors treatments accessed through the internet. The young people prefer the use of the internet because they can access medical care and treatment despite the physical barriers. The use of the internet in mental care delivery present with benefits that cannot go unnoticed. Therefore, children and youth must also be given a chance to benefit from the use of the Internet in the delivery of mental health services.

Conclusion

As expounded above, internet usage should have age restrictions. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tumbler, and Instagram are among the social networking sites that have harmful content to the young people. Younger kids lack the ability to handle the negativity portrayed in the social networking sites. The anonymous and harmful effects associated with internet use must be put into consideration by all stakeholders. The young people who access the internet without any restrictions are exposed to high levels of depression and increased chances to commit suicides related to internet use. The damage caused by the usage of the internet is the reason age restrictions remain an important factor regarding the use of the internet. Internet usage should be restricted to age since it leads to high suicidal rates and increased rates of depression. Age restriction on internet usage will mitigate the adverse effects exposed to the minors. The regulations are important because they will provide policies and measures that will prevent the minors from accessing harmful content from the Internet (Romano et al. 2013 and Wu et al. 2013). The addiction associated with the use of the internet is destructive because it separates people from the social world. For this reason, the issue of the internet addiction should be given serious attention to providing the age restriction to the internet use. In conclusion, there should be an age restriction regarding the usage of the internet.

References

Akhter, N. (2013). Relationship between Internet Addiction and Academic Performance among University Undergraduates. Educational Research and Reviews, 8(19), 1793-1796.
Asiri, S., Fallahi, F., Ghanbari, A., & Kazemnejad-leili, E. (2013). Internet Addiction and its Predictors in Guilan Medical Sciences Students, 2012. Nursing and Midwifery Studies, 2(2), 234.
Azher, M., Khan, R. B., Salim, M., Bilal, M., Hussain, A., & Haseeb, M. (2014). The relationship between internet addiction and anxiety among students of University of Sargodha. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 4(1), 288-293.
Boydell, K. M., Hodgins, M., Pignatiello, A., Teshima, J., Edwards, H., & Willis, D. (2014). Using technology to deliver mental health services to children and youth: A scoping review. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 23(2), 87.
Romano, M., Osborne, L. A., Truzoli, R., & Reed, P. (2013). Differential psychological impact of internet exposure on internet addicts. PloS one, 8(2), e55162.
Sueki, H., Yonemoto, N., Takeshima, T., & Inagaki, M. (2014). The impact of suicidality-related internet use: a prospective large cohort study with young and middle-aged internet users. PloS one, 9(4), e94841
Wu, X., Chen, X., Han, J., Meng, H., Luo, J., Nydegger, L., & Wu, H. (2013). Prevalence and factors of addictive Internet use among adolescents in Wuhan, China: interactions of parental relationship with age and hyperactivity-impulsivity. PloS one, 8(4), e61782.