Negative aspect of internet

1. 1
Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................2
Is the negative impact of internet on all the adolescents?.......................................................................3
How has internet decline education among adolescents?........................................................................3
How has internet reduced morality among adolescent?..........................................................................4
Does internet reduces adolescent’s thinking capacity?...........................................................................5
Does internet reduces face-to-face communication among adolescents? .................................................6
Is internet among the factors that cause insomnia among adolescents? ...................................................7
Does internet influence the behaviour of an adolescent?........................................................................7
Can an adolescent be additive to the internet?.......................................................................................8
Does internet cause a waste of time among adolescents? .......................................................................9
As internet resulted to obesity among adolescent? ..............................................................................9
Recommendation.............................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................11
References .......................................................................................................................................12

2. 2
Introduction
The role of internet cannot be ignored in our society today. Internet has helped in turning
the world into a global village. There is great relationship between internet and adolescents.
Everyone wants go digital and sometimes the older generations are called analogue. In addition,
the relationship can be described in three stages, those born before 1950s are referred to as alien
in the digital world, then 1950 to 1979 are immigrants and the rest are known as natives of the
technology.
The growth of this technology has brought about positive and negative effects in the way
one gathers and communicates information, it is either been useful or misusing the media. The
Macmillian English Dictionary (2002) defines internet as a computer system that allows people
in different parts of the world to exchange information and other resources. According to
Onunga (1998) that no single organisation owns the internet and there is no boundaries when it
comes to internet on the exchange of information.
Morahan-Martin (2001) sites the positive aspects as fast communication, retrieving and
handling information in a more easy way. Others include remote communication, used in
learning processes, research and joint research, health, news and information, online banking,
leisure entertainment and finding people and organizations. Also the negative aspects are: ethical
and moral concerns about the possibility of accessing and distribution of unwanted information,
thinking capacity reduced (plagiarism), security threat, internet addiction, online risk as exposure
to sexually explicit material like pornography, online victimization which include cyber bullying,
harassment, sexual solicitation, spread of terrorism and drug trafficking, lack of face to face
communication, insomnia, wastage of time, privacy is disturbed, cyber-crime, reduced physical
exercises, among others.

3. 3
World Health Organization (2015) identifies an adolescent as the period in human
growth and development that occurs after childhood and before adulthood, from ages 10 to19. It
is also a time of considerable risk taking, because it is characterize by movement toward social
and economic independence, and development of identity, the acquisition of skills needed to
carry out adult relationships and roles, and the capacity for abstract reasoning.
This literature will focus on the negative side of internet on adolescent. It shall
bring to awareness to parents, teachers and all those who work with adolescents about the evils
associated with internet and suggest possible means of handling it.
Is the negative impact of internet on all the adolescents?
The negative impact of internet cannot be generalized. These trends are mostly found in
urban settlement where the infrastructures breed the wrong usage of internet. For instance, when
comparing the phones between students in urban settlements and rural, it is observable that
students in urban uses more sophisticated devices more than their counterparts.
How has internet decline education among adolescents?
Education is a process and internet has aided in this process. Today, there are some
aspects in which internet have contributed in drop of education. It is a concern because in the
future, if such is not controlled, the adolescents of today will be the same people to be teachers
and administrator in schools and offices. Ojiakor and Umeogu (2014) argue that the evident can
be seen in the reading and writing culture among students nowadays. This decline is what is
known as chat language or SMS languages where spellings and tenses are not considered as long
as it makes sense. For instance,
I want to see you I wt 2 c u
Thank you tnk u

4. 4
Good gd or gud
Come Cm
Night 9t
The D
Because cos/cuz
That dt
Can Cn
Road rd
Lots of Love Lol
Got to go G2g
These short hands have been transferred into writing test and essays without be
conscious. This if not handled, will be transferred to the younger generations. Internet has
affected adolescent in such a way that while doing their assignment, there is a multi-task of
assignment and Facebooking, which is a distraction in learning process.
How has internet reduced morality among adolescent?
Oxford Advanced Dictionary (2010) defines morality as “principles concerning right and
wrong or good and bad behaviour”. Morality can be viewed as a degree to which an action can
be good or bad. Since internet is a network without boundaries, there is much pornography
which adolescents easily access and download. Ojiakor and Umeogu (2014) note that, issues that
are kept as taboos in African culture are today openly discussed on social media. Adolescents
nowadays openly proclaim that they are gays. Also, there are chat rooms where one might join if
he/she is a gay or lesbian. In addition is sexting through internet and is found today more

5. 5
commonly among adolescent, which they might learn from what they hear and see on the social
media. This is a concern because some of the sexual behaviours that people manifest are what
they have learned.
Does internet reduces adolescent’s thinking capacity?
In Bloom taxonomy, they are three domains in learning which are cognitive, affective
and psychomotor. The cognitive, is the stage that helps us develop intellectual skills. It involves;
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation (Clark, 2015). Today,
reverse is the case. Many adolescent are involved in plagiarism. UNC Student affairs (2014)
defines plagiarism as “the deliberate or reckless representation of another’s words, thoughts, or
ideas as one’s own without attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether
graded or otherwise”
When assignments are given, a student tends to first source on google.com to see if the
answers are there, there afterwards, they copy and paste without mastering the content. Many
discoveries are made today not from google.com but with google.com and what they know
already. Tamia (2013) argues that such students only cram and in turn become lazy. If such
attitude continues, student’s creativity will die and relies on the internet. This makes the students
not even to check if the content is right or wrong of what they researching because of the
internet.
The daily nation dated March 28, 2011 presents such case of plagiarism where a student
was stopped from graduating. Plagiarism is also can be referred to as the “violation of
intellectual right”. The article referred to internet as “double-edged sword for plagiarism.”
Onchana (2011) cites others law suits of the famous novel written by Alex Haley, “Roots” of
copying 80 passages approximately from Courlander’s novel, “The African”. Other included
that of Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code and J. K. Rowling which were both dismissed

6. 6
because of no evidence to proof it. This current trend brings wonders of what will become of our
academic worldwork and how many law suits we shall be having, if the present adolescents
cannot be controlled over the issue of plagiarism.
Examination malpractice is another way in which internet has reduced adolescents
thinking capacity. Most adolescents, when given application questions that they are suppose to
relate to their own experiences, for instance how did you spent your last holiday? Most will go to
google.com and copy it and submit even if it is an exam. Some adolescents today cannot really
do without a smart phone because of the google.com and other search engines.
Does internet reduces face-to-face communication among adolescents?
Today, even a baby of 7 years old knows what Facebook is. Nomophobia is a new
terminology introduced for people who cannot do without their phones, one may forget
everything but not their phone. According to Merwe (2013) that modern cell phones has two
components; the computer components which has features like GPRS, MP3players, google map,
portable minicomputer even phones that can save files, contacts and information on the cloud,
while the other is the calling component, which is among the first generation of phones in Africa
basically for SMS and calling. Merwe (2013) relates it with adolescent as their “integral part of
their lives”
Likewise internet, adolescent at this stage of exploring might be on the social network all
day without minding if other people do exit. In some homes, dining table does not longer
exist.Adolescent will not love to be distracted even while on the table, they will be on their
phone. Most of them will even get more psychological joy being online.
Physical exercises that bring adolescents closer to each other are no longer there. They
will prefer to be in their rooms chat and play online games and this makes face to face
communication among adolescents impossible. Sometimes, on streets, two adolescents sitting

7. 7
together, each will be on their chat room or other social network. The effect of lack of face to
face communication, is that adolescents may lack the social skills to interact well. According to
Tamia (2013) that such adolescents will sit in front of their laptops and desktop and chat all day.
Is internet among the factors that cause insomnia among adolescents?
According to The Macmillan English Dictionary (2002) defines insomnia as a medical
condition in which one has difficulty sleeping, which is related to getting attached to something.
This can be said to be true as most adolescents sleep at mid night or even early morning because
of the presence of devices that connects to the internet. Is either, they are in chat rooms, chatting
or in other social networks purposes. Tamia (2013) adds that such will hamper both physical and
mental growth. Today, most adolescent sleeps with their phones by their side and sometimes
because of the technology that gives us alter of any new messages in our phones, most will be
altered by the service light and wake to check for updates and mails. More effects are that it
leads to eyes problems because of the direct light reflecting into to the eyes.
Does internet influence the behaviour of an adolescent?
The internet is a library of knowledge that creates awareness about things which
adolescents might not have heard nor seen. Also, adolescent stage is more of risk taking. What
an adolescent sees is what they are more likely to take, for instance the celebrities becomes their
role model. Merwe (2013) argues that internet leads to the instigation of aggressive and violent
behaviour. The kind of music, movies that an adolescent listens and sees are uncontrollable. A
boy murdered by another with a sword and the result was attributed to Satanism because of the
kind of music the boy was exposed to on the internet (Merwe, 2013).
Some of the attitudes manifests in some students are seen as an influence of media. For
instance bullying which can be seen as their interactions with some games online. For instance
the “global youth culture” as used by Merwe (2013) is another factor to be considered as what

8. 8
influences most of the adolescent’s behaviour. Most of them wants to be like they international
models. They want to behave like them to be counted as modern age. Youth
Dynamix’sYouthTrax (2009) also added that they want to speak, wear and consume more
products like their internet models.
The internet has made some adolescents to be irrational. Whatever they see on the
internet is taken as the truth. The advertisements has made some of them to purchase items that
might not be useful to them just because they saw a celebrity using it means that it is good. For
instance, when there are new phones and seeing it, they might steal in order to have such gadget.
This has led to a great gap between older generation and younger ones. Sometimes, old
school is used to refer to most people who do not have a mentor from the internet. Even some
mothers have to tolerate some of their daughters because sometimes when they go online, their
dressing changes.
Can an adolescent be additive to the internet?
There are numerous forms of addition from DMS-5. Macmillan English Dictionary
(2002) defines addition as a “strong need or wish to spend as much time as possible doing a
particular activity” (It is obvious that an adolescent can be addicted to alcohol, drug, movies and
even sex). Tamia (2013) argues that an adolescent can be additive and refers to it as third most
additive things after alcohol and drugs. In there working definition which is referred to as
‘compulsive Internet use’ which is they continues use of internet to escape from negative feeling,
unpleasant emotion even when the desire to stop is there.
Pisker (2015) supports that adolescents can be additive and it is associated with numerous
effects like: less time for academic work that will lead to drop in grade, insomnia, lack of family
bound, mental health and even reduction in personal finances because there is need for money

9. 9
for data bundle. Today, most adolescent can spend hours on Facebook, games and fewer hours
on reading academic or spiritual materials. Before the invention of internet, while on a trip,
books are companions in case one gets bored. But today reversed is the case, once an adolescent
has a phone with them, they can never be bored even the next person setting next to them might
not be noticed. This attitude has major effect has it has drop the reading and writing culture
among school students.
Does internet cause a waste of time among adolescents?
Waste of time is believed among many as doing something or activity that is not
profitable. Internet to some extend as made adolescent not to be mindful of time management.
Many adolescent when the have free time, majority may end up in social medias or doing some
illegal activities like as known among Nigerians “Yahoo Yahoo.com”. Tamia (2013) notes in
her article “10 negative effects of internet on adolescent” that many adolescent can sit in front
of a computer all day which can result to failure in their examination and leads to depression
because less time is paid to studies. This can be seen even in high school, while the teacher
might be in class, some student can be on Facebook, especially computer classes where the
computer is connect to the wide world network.
As internet resulted to obesity among adolescent?
Years back there were some diseases that were not so common like obesity, blood
pressure and cancer. In reviewing the article of Tamia (2013), that adolescents are more
commonly to have life style diseases associated to internet. Most adolescents do not have time
for physical exercises because of internet and in addition after meals some goes straight to
their devices to connect to the internet. This results to less movement and so there is no

10. 10
burning of calories. Sleeping can also help in burning fats in the body but most of the time,
adolescents are in front of the computer chatting. This factors leads to health related diseases.
Recommendation
Since, each problem has a formula or solution, the following are suggestible ways of
allowing adolescents to use internet and avoiding the avoidable instance;
 Government (ministry of education) and curriculum developers should introduce
internet literacy in school’s curriculums. It aid in educating the adolescents about
benefits and risks of internet usage. It helps the adolescents in knowing or identifying
deceiving programmes that are not accredited.
 Schools and other institution should develop an internet filters that will prevent
adolescents from accessing some site while in school. For instance, blocking Facebook to
avoid them from using it while in the classroom.
 Parents and educators especial a counsellor should part of the adolescent’s internet live.
Making the adolescent to feel free to talk about sites that they visit, their friends on social
network and whom and what they find strange on the internet, as it will help to control
some negative impacts on the adolescents.
 Computers connected to the internet should be kept in a common area that can be visible
to all. This is to watch at a glance and monitor what they adolescents are doing online and
also it helps to keep them from distraction and addition.
 Government should come up with policies that limits on the information that is gotten
from an adolescent like first, second, email, gender and age are good for them instead of

11. 11
asking them of their sexual orientation. Also, adolescents should be taught on how to
disable cookies as it helps not to give more information than required.
 Families and schools should have activities that brings all the students together like
exercise, community service, outing as it will prevent them (adolescents) from been
additive and reduces illnesses. Also, families should have meals together and with other
activities.
 Schools should have policies on handling plagiarism to controlling it before it is
transferred to the next generation.
 Schools, religious institution and communities should have programmes that educate
people on the positive and negative sides of internet.
 High school students should not be allowed to use devices connected to the internet to be
used while in school; as less monitoring is done while they are in school.
Conclusion
There is a great need to be concerned of the new trends in technologies. If this negative
effects on adolescents are not addressed there will much great and long lasting impact on
academic, social, emotional, psychological and even spiritual life of the adolescent and future
generations. It is the duty of everyone in the society to talk about this phenomena and its impact.
Internet itself is not bad but it depends on how it is used. Allowing an adolescent to use internet
is of great value but also teaching them on how to use it is saving the academic world and lives.

12. 12
References
Clark, D. (2015). Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Retrieved on 22nd September 2015
fromhttp://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html
Lea, D., Parkinson, D., Phillips, P., Francis, B., Webb, S., Bull, V. & Ashby, M.(Eds.). (2010).
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: International Student’s Edition. (8th ed.). Chain:
Oxford University Press.
Merwe, P. (2013). South Africa’s Adolescents in a Wired World. International Journal of
Criminology and Sociology, 2013, 2, 348-361. Retrieved on 22nd September 2015 form
http://www.lifescienceglobal.com/pms/index.php/ijcs/article/view/1301/pdf
Ojiakor, I., & Umeogu, B. (2014). The Internet Communication and the Moral Degradation of
the Nigerian Youth. International Journal of Computer and Information Technology
(ISSN: 2279 – 0764) Volume 03 – Issue 02, March 2014. Retrieved on 22nd September
2015 form http://www.ijcit.com/archives/volume3/issue2/Paper030226.pdf
Onchana, E., N. (2011, March 28). Law Report. Court stops students from graduating for
plagiarism. Daily Nation
Onunga, J. (1998). The Internet. Nairobi: Information System Academy Ltd.
Tamia, R. (2013). 10 Top negative effects of internet on students. Retrieved on 22nd September
2015 from http://retnotamia.blogspot.co.ke/2013/04/top-10-negative-effects-of-internet-
on.html
UNC Student affairs. (2014).The Instrument of Student Judicial Governance.Retrieved on 22nd
September 2015
fromhttps://studentconduct.unc.edu/sites/studentconduct.unc.edu/files/documents/Instrum
ent.pdf

13. 13
World Health Organization. (2015).Maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health: Adolescent
development. Retrieved on 22nd September 2015 from
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/adolescence/dev/en/
Youth Dynamix’s Youth Trax. (2009, July 07). The global teen & South Africa. Youth
Dynamix’s Youth Trax ® 2008/09 research study. Retrieved March 23, 2015, from
http://youthdynamixsa.wordpress.com/tag/youth-lifestyle/