We live in an age driven by technology. One of his most influential technologies in our daily lives is the internet. Many things come to mind when you hear this name. Especially our daily activities such as official work, social media, online news reports, weather forecasts, online business, shopping, and even today using online education systems come to mind. Babies, toddlers, children, adults and even elderly people use the internet. This is a clear indication that everyone is dependent on the internet directly or indirectly.
How the internet changed our lives?
The internet has revolutionized the way we live, work and communicate with others. The internet has become an integral part of our lives, especially for new generations, due to its immense benefits. However, excessive use of the Internet also has some negative effects that are of concern to younger generations. One of the biggest negative effects of the Internet on new generations is addiction. With easy access to the Internet, young people can no longer tolerate spending hours on electronic devices. Social media platforms, online games and instant messaging apps are among the most addictive internet activities he has taken over the lives of new generations. Overuse of the internet has resulted in decreased productivity, poor academic performance and lack of social skills. Another significant negative impact of the Internet on new generations is cyberbullying. The anonymity of the internet has made it easier for bullies to attack their victims without fear of being caught causing victims of cyberbullying to have low self-esteem and are at risk of suicidal thoughts. The internet has also reduced the quality of young people’s interpersonal relationships. Social media platforms have made it easier to connect with others, but they have also created a culture of superficial relationships.
How obsessed we all are towards internet?
An obsession with the likes follows, and comments lead to a decline in true relationships, leading to loneliness and isolation. Easy access to inappropriate content on the internet also has a negative impact on the new generation. Teens can access pornography, violent content, and other inappropriate content with just a few clicks. Exposure to such content can lead to desensitization to violence, inappropriate sexual behavior, and a distorted perception of reality.
I would like to quote Albert Einstein here, “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”
What is the role of an individual as a responsible citizen?
The problem is that some people use the internet as they please, while others force it. Here comes a new generation of us: adult children who are ignorant of the dark side of the internet. We have seen most parents give smartphones to their children without hesitation, seeing them as modernization. When someone gives you advice, they typically say “Pareshaan kartey hain bohat he zayada isslye deya hai wasey ziddi nahi hai hamaray bachay” and when you were brought to “Pareshaan” as a child, your parents I ask how they treated you?… to the older generation and now we live in 2023. Things have changed, but who will explain to you that a new baby will be born and will do it by your influence?
How developed countries make influence towards the internet?
When children cry in developed countries delicious food is served, lullabies are sung, stories are told, surprises are given, and many other interesting things are offered for children to teach them. Keep them busy, learning something new and developing a creative mindset. But here in our country, mobile phones are ready with high-speed internet-loaded with rhymes, songs, social media, YouTube, etc. No matter what they do with that smartphone, you never know how bad it will affect their mind and thinking processes and how in daily life.
How the internet was easily accessible to all?
Due to the Covid pandemic, parents allowed their kids to use smartphones for the sake of what reason? Join an online course? to do their duty? To do their notes? Yes, it is okay! Have you checked what they’re doing in their locked room on their smartphones? Checked their YouTube history on their browsers to see what they’ve been up to all day How do they influence the way they think? In the last few years, most young people have become addicted to their smartphones (or their parents’ smartphones) because of the internet. And the result is you don’t want to eat on time, you don’t want to sleep properly, you don’t want to play outside with anyone, you don’t have friends to play with, you get annoyed by trifles, you answer every argument with an unexpected answer that surprises you and your parents. think it’s cool and smile…said I was stupid when I was that age. That’s why children are compared to adults, and it’s actually not funny that the environmental change that these children are undergoing is the internet.
As a computer science student, I would like to share some statistics about the internet.
90% of teens aged 13-17 use social media. 51% of them use social media every day.
Ages between 8 and 28 years spend about 44.5 hours a week in front of a digital screen, according to Health Report. 23% of children reported being addicted to video games. “Children who spend more time on computers, watching television or playing video games tend to experience higher levels of emotional distress, anxiety and depression,” the report said. About 750,000 teenagers are depressed to the point that life isn’t worth living, according to a study.
Another study found that “children are kept awake by cell phones even when they are not using them” and more than 72% of all children had at least one child in the bedroom. I have one device. Surfing the internet often exposes us to harmful things like phishing, viruses, and other dangers disguised as advertisements. Most adults know them and can easily avoid them, but what about our children?
According to another survey, 70% of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 have accidentally encountered porn online.
Some teenagers are reported to spend up to 9 hours a day on social media.
Not only that, but daily time spent browsing the internet will increase by 5% from 2020. Over 40% of the web is salacious and we expect good deeds from the new generation. People do what they see and when it comes to the fresh minds of humanity, what we do to them treats them in a comfort zone that is too dangerous for them.
How health is impacted by the internet?
We have seen many cases in the news of teenagers dying from heart attacks, suffering from heart failure, hypertension and depression and works like slow poison but unfortunately for all those things parents are complaining that it is due to weakness or lack of nutrition and many other mythical things The reason for this is truly terrifying and I would say that this disease is in our hands and free to move in our daily lives 24/7.
Albert Einstein once said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots” Isn’t this all about us? The generation which is in its comfort zone and the inability to adapt to change. Their thinking is limited, stuck in stereotypes, wasting time in timid pleasures, unable to think anything about their health or future.
What should we do as responsible citizens?
I would like to conclude with the words of Godfrey Reggio “It is not that we use technology, we live technology.” In my opinion, if we are all responsible for taking care of our generation and future generations, then take a step back and think how we all are addicted to a legal drug that is the internet and is circulated among all without any limit. Parents can rest assured that their child is not dependent on this drug, let your child explore some interesting books and magazines. Please, let them participate in games, puzzles, and indoor games. Children don’t need to be compared to other children; they make them special in their own way. Having friendly relations with your children. Parents and educators should take steps to help young people use the internet responsibly and avoid the negative impact it has on their lives. For the new generation, the internet has both pros and cons. Information and communication have become more accessible, but overuse of the internet has led to addiction, cyberbullying, poor interpersonal relationships, and exposure to inappropriate content.
The author is an M-Tech student at the University of Kashmir. Feedback at [email protected]

Adnan Malik