Kids will always want the fanciest, most popular toy, even if that toy is an electronic device not necessarily meant for them. It’s easy to give a child an iPad or some other device to calm them during incessant tantrums, but what’s hard is protecting them from the horrors of the internet. How did a simple gadget meant for communication and social networking become the epitome of bratty children, and what makes the internet so harmful for young minds?
First and foremost, let’s talk about one of the most popular things on the internet: Games. Everybody loves a good game, especially children. People of all ages also like to share their love of games with friends. Some games are created for the sole purpose of playing with friends, called online games. Online games are possibly the most dangerous games on the internet, and for many reasons. As listed on Aura, the main risks are, “1. Cyberbullying and online harassment. 2. Inappropriate or upsetting content. 3. Account takeovers and hacking. 4. Malware and viruses. 5. Identity theft and privacy issues. 6. Online predators. 7. Excessive in-game spending. 8. Devoting too much time to gaming.”
While it is true that there are many educational things, namely videos, meant for children that exist on the internet, there is an equal amount of mindless content made for the sole purpose of profiting off of unsuspecting kids. The most notable examples of these harmful videos fall under the category of “Elsagate”, which is an internet scandal that came into the light in 2017. According to The McDonald College, “Elsagate refers to a wave of controversial YouTube videos that use popular characters from children’s shows… to engage young viewers”. Most of the content features these characters indulging in activities such as getting injections, going to the doctor, going to the dentist, (over)eating, getting hurt and doing tasks while pregnant. This gross type of content is classified as a “Content Farm”. Digital Content Manager of internetmatters.org, Sheena Peckham, says that “The phrase ‘content farm’ describes a large company that quickly generates content in large amounts. It is often viewed as low-quality content.” Despite how distasteful and strange the videos produced can be, children will still absent-mindedly watch them.
Whether your child is using their screen time for good purposes or to view the mind-numbing wonders of the internet, they’ll likely still end up forming some type of dependency on electronics. Children that depend on devices can become quite hostile when their beloved screen is taken away from them. NeuroHealth claims that when children’s screen time is over and the electronics have to be put away, “Some of them cry, some of them break things, and some even threaten suicide.” These reactions make it seem as if the child is addicted, which happens more often than not. I’m sure many people have witnessed a screen time induced meltdown in public or at home, and it is quite unfortunate that this behavior is so common when device privileges are revoked.
Even though the internet does have a bright side, it can be very hard to find, especially for a child in a world full of harmful and cruel jokes. I believe the best solution for parents who desperately want to pacify their child with an electronic is to enable restrictions and remove them once they are older. While this may seem like a childish option, do you really want to risk permanently harming your child?
