While waiting for my ride home, I happened to pass by a group of young kids, around 10 to 12 years of age, playing the ever popular game of jump rope. When suddenly, this kid falls down to his knees because his size-5 foot got caught amidst the rapid twists and turns of the ropes. Of course, it is expected that the kid would say a word or two to express his pain and it usually ends with remarks such "Ouch." To my surprise, this 10 year old boy said the F BOMB. Picture me as this dork without glasses raising his eyebrows and enlarging his... eyes. So I said, "What the f... crap." :) Is this how young kids react to booboos now?
I guess this shows how much more mature, if you could say such a thing, the children of this generation is now. And as such, it is unavoidable that these kids would end up on the Internet to do various things. So, how exactly do I see the concept of having CHILDREN IN CYBERSPACE? *Queue Twilight Zone Theme* Well, it has its PROs and CONs.
For one thing, kids who go online tend to have much exposure on the different kinds of information that can be picked up while reading texts in websites or forums. For example, they can learn different kinds of recipes or styles in paper folding. However, seeing that the Internet is uncontrollable when it comes to limiting information not made for minors, it can go overboard. Children are ultimately exposed to unacceptable, if not immoral, content.
A friend of mine also said shared to me that one of the major issues concerning this matter may be that the children lack the required maturity to filter and to comprehend certain situations. This is where flaming comes in. Learning when to retreat from a battle dictates maturity, however, since the children have not yet reached that point, more battles will result from a simple disagreement. This, of course, could lead to trouble in and outside cyberspace.
In addition, children do not understand the dangers and consequences of engaging into conversations with people over the internet. We have all seen crime reports about abductions and killings of innocent, young victims.
Anonymity is a double-edged sword. Though the internet lets you hide your true identity, how sure are you that the other person would not do the same?
It is appalling that parents do not seem to get fazed by this disturbing act of evil, which leads me to my next point.
It is the responsibility of the parents, then, to ensure the safety of their children every time they go to surf the internet. How hard is it to check from time to time what their kids are doing? If the parents do not do such, then I'm sorry *queue PGMA here*, but the parents lack the compassion, maturity, and responsibility to be called PARENTS. They are mere robots.
It is inevitable that the children of today will make use of technologies that seem to be as vital a resource as basic necessities such as food or water. It is the parents' duty, therefore, to wake up, to take notice, and to be responsible for their owngenetic clones children.
For one thing, kids who go online tend to have much exposure on the different kinds of information that can be picked up while reading texts in websites or forums. For example, they can learn different kinds of recipes or styles in paper folding. However, seeing that the Internet is uncontrollable when it comes to limiting information not made for minors, it can go overboard. Children are ultimately exposed to unacceptable, if not immoral, content.
A friend of mine also said shared to me that one of the major issues concerning this matter may be that the children lack the required maturity to filter and to comprehend certain situations. This is where flaming comes in. Learning when to retreat from a battle dictates maturity, however, since the children have not yet reached that point, more battles will result from a simple disagreement. This, of course, could lead to trouble in and outside cyberspace.
In addition, children do not understand the dangers and consequences of engaging into conversations with people over the internet. We have all seen crime reports about abductions and killings of innocent, young victims.
Anonymity is a double-edged sword. Though the internet lets you hide your true identity, how sure are you that the other person would not do the same?
It is appalling that parents do not seem to get fazed by this disturbing act of evil, which leads me to my next point.
It is the responsibility of the parents, then, to ensure the safety of their children every time they go to surf the internet. How hard is it to check from time to time what their kids are doing? If the parents do not do such, then I'm sorry *queue PGMA here*, but the parents lack the compassion, maturity, and responsibility to be called PARENTS. They are mere robots.
It is inevitable that the children of today will make use of technologies that seem to be as vital a resource as basic necessities such as food or water. It is the parents' duty, therefore, to wake up, to take notice, and to be responsible for their own
1 comment:
Ang naalala ko sa post mo eh yung TV show sa US na "dateline" (yata). May segment sila na To Catch a Predator kung saan sinusubukan nilang matrap yung mga pedophile that prey on unsuspecting kids on cyberspace.
May agent na magpopose as a kid tapos makikipagchat sa matanda and makikipagagree magmeet tapos pagdating nung matanda... BOOM! Huli ka balbon!
Ang malungkot lang dun, pano yung mga batang nakikipagkita talaga? Sinong huhuli sa mga predator na yun?
Post a Comment