Impact of the net

THE INTERNET has invaded our lives with such force that life seems incomplete without it, at times. Especially for the youth.

In Chennai, more than 50 per cent of youngsters browse the net from the comfort of their homes, according to a study conducted by some college students.

And of course, e-mail, chat and downloading are the more oft-used facilities rather than browsing for academic purposes.

The objective of the study, restricted to 100 undergraduates, was to find out if the younger generation misuses time, money and freedom on the net and the impact it has on social skills and mental abilities.

The study was conducted through group discussions, pilot survey and questionnaires.

An awesome wonder of modern communication technology, the net is like a double-edged sword... it can make or mar society.

If one can receive messages instantly and get information on anything from photons to films, it also gives one access to objectionable sites.

The awareness about the net is very high in the city's youth and this is evident in the number of netcafes and browsing centres that have sprung up in practically every street corner.

They seem to be the most sought-after places for youngsters to `hang out' after college hours.

But the study, restricted to the city of Chennai, reveals that 25 per cent of the youngsters interviewed used the net for chatting purposes, while 33 per cent check their mail daily.

There were some alarming trends too.

According to the study, 43 per cent go online only at night and 37 per cent visited porno sites. About 74 per cent of them were aware of cyber sex and nearly half of them felt it is not morally wrong to visit these sites. The net has had an adverse effect on social and behavioural patterns of the youth. While 34 per cent suffered from bad temper and irritability, 16 per cent suffered from sleeplessness.

Also most of them preferred to be along when they had free time, resulting in less interaction with other people.

The study concludes that though many enjoy chatting on the net, they also like to hang out with friends.

They may enjoy sitting in front of their terminals but they are not addicted to the net.

They would love to read mails but they are not overtly disappointed when they do not receive any mail.

The net is a powerful tool for acquiring knowledge but it also offers temptations.

But what needs to be questioned is whether the youth have the ability to make use of the tool without falling into the trap.

In fact, it is now in their hands to harness the tremendous potential of the Internet and make the most of it.

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Section  : Features
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