In the past children often played outdoor games with their friends. Nowadays children often connect with their friends online. Is this a positive or a negative development?
Positive?
They can be saved from criminal activities
They can remain safe from harsh weather and pollution
They can connect with anyone, regardless of their location
They can become tech literate
Negative?
Severe health implications due to overengagement with technology causes them to resort to sedentary lifestyles
Miss out opportunities to develop a robust health
Miss out chances to learn about socialization and social behavior
The advent of the internet-based applications has led youngsters to abandon going outdoors to meet their peers, and instead interact with them virtually. This essay shall analyse favorable and unfavorable attributes of this trend, and argue in favor of being detrimental.
Undeniably, engagement with web-based platforms for communicating with friends, classmates, and so forth, has come as a blessing for juveniles; they can now share and exchange their ideas with a much wider circle, regardless of their geographical location or time zone - something out of bounds for the preceding generations - helping them expand their acquaintance list, and broaden their horizons.
Nevertheless, this style of communicating is already wreaking havoc on adults, and the effect of this is more pronounced on tender minds; they have started renouncing the traditional method of meeting their friends, depriving themselves of opportunities to foster critical skills: socialization, and behaving with others in the physical world. To corroborate, eminent child behaviourists admit, increasing online interactions is turning young individuals into introverts, and public shy and timid, readily circumventing real-life events where they must mingle with others in the real world.
Similarly, the upcoming generation is bound to face severe ramifications owing to this: taking a toll on their physical and mental wellbeing. It is being observed that a growing number of youngsters are becoming obsessed with this state-of-the-art communication tool, and exhaust long hours indulging with online platforms, thereby embracing sedentary lifestyles, and becoming vulnerable to mental fatigue, and lifestyle diseases quite early on.
To encapsulate, despite allowing wider exposure, this innovative method of communicating is proving to be a bane for the young generation because they are likely to miss essential education and face poor health; thus, striking a balance between these online and offline interactions is highly recommended.
