Early exposure to the internet in children: Pros and cons…

In the era of technology explosion, early exposure and use of the internet has helped children proactively access new knowledge, expand their thinking, and be creative... However, the internet and especially popular social networks such as Facebook, Zalo, YouTube, Tik Tok... also pose many risks and negative effects if children are exposed too much and lack guidance from adults.

Dr. Dao Le Hoa An, Executive Committee Member of the Vietnam Psychology Association, Director of Jobway 4.0 Life Skills Training Center, discussed with students in Bien Hoa City on the topic of self-protection on the internet. Photo: N. Son

Experts say that children should not be banned and cannot be banned from using the internet, but should be directed to information sites with positive content, suitable for their age, encourage children to use the internet for learning purposes and teach children safe interaction skills in cyberspace to protect themselves.

* Double-edged sword

Generation Z (1996-2014) and Generation Alpha (2015-2025) are young generations growing up in the era of information and digital technology explosion, where exposure to smart devices connected to the internet is inevitable.

As a person who studied Information Technology and is currently in charge of the website of a private hospital in Bien Hoa City, Mr. Dinh Vu Vinh (residing in Tan Mai Ward, Bien Hoa City) believes that, on the positive side, the Internet is one of the great inventions because of its ability to connect and interact very quickly and usefully; giving people the opportunity to explore endless sources of knowledge, especially applications from AI artificial intelligence technology. Therefore, if children know how to take advantage of the benefits of the Internet, they will improve their thinking and learn many interesting things from the outside.

Mr. Vinh shared that in his family, through his guidance, his children have learned to take advantage of opportunities to search for information and knowledge on all topics, all the things they wonder about right on Google or ChatGPT, useful scientific videos and documentaries, online foreign language courses and many other topics. In addition, the internet is also an environment for connection, communication and sharing that is very easy, fast, economical and convenient, so using the internet - if you know how to take advantage of its good features will greatly support your learning and life activities.

Ms. Do Thi Bich Thuy and her grandson Nguyen Xuan Hoang Phuc (Bien Hoa City) watch cartoons on iPad on YouTube

Ms. Do Thi Bich Thuy and her grandson Nguyen Xuan Hoang Phuc (Bien Hoa City) watch cartoons together on iPad on YouTube. Photo: Vinh Huy

After many years of working as a primary school teacher, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet (living in Trung Dung Ward, Bien Hoa City) said: “I noticed that in class, students who have access to the internet and are proficient in using smart devices seem to be more agile and creative. I see that if students are guided in using the internet to search for information for their studies or watch, listen, read, and play healthy games, it will help their brains to be better trained in judgment, analysis, and decision-making skills.”

It is undeniable that the positive values that the internet brings to children in learning, playing, entertaining, self-development, and connecting with the world in the globalization trend, however, there will be many potential harms if children are not oriented and educated about safe internet usage.

In 2022, the Department of Children (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) conducted a survey on children's internet use. The results showed that up to 89% of children aged 5-14 years old use the internet; of which 87% use it daily and 57% use it from 5-7 hours per day. In addition, 92% of children aged 15-17 use the internet but only 36% of them are taught about internet safety.

A study by the Department of Children (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) shows that children accessing technology too early but lacking the necessary management and supervision from parents will bring more risks than opportunities for children. Spending a lot of time on unhealthy information sites will seriously affect children's health, cognition, psychology and behavior. In addition, frequent use and interaction on social networks can easily lead to personal information and user data being stolen, being tracked or bad guys taking advantage of children's naivety and gullibility to deceive and manipulate their minds.

Up to now, H. (13 years old, living in Bien Hoa City) is still haunted after being mentally "terrorized" by Tran Van Quy (23 years old, from An Giang province). Before that, through social networks, H. met and developed feelings for Quy. From February 2022 to December 2022, Quy forced H. to have sex at a motel. Quy also used his phone to record and threatened to post the "hot" photos online and send them to H.'s family. Because he was so scared, H. became Quy's sex "slave". Quy was later arrested by the provincial police for raping a person under 16 years old.

* Equip yourself with skills to interact safely in cyberspace

Dr. Le Minh Cong, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Social Work (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City National University) said that children under the age of 15 are not yet aware and fully understand the negative impacts of the internet and the virtual world, so parents should discuss directly with their children about the benefits of the internet, and at the same time guide and choose healthy websites suitable for their age so that children can take advantage of the internet for learning, teach children how to interact safely and culturally in cyberspace. From there, help children be aware of healthy internet usage behavior.

Common forms of online fraud targeting children. Source: Department of Information Security (Ministry of Information and Communications) - Graphics: Do Quyen

Currently, in addition to the harmful effects of the negative side of the internet, high-tech criminals are also using social networks to commit many acts of fraud and enticement against children. Therefore, Dr. Le Minh Cong recommends that parents always remind their children of the four principles of safety when using the internet: do not disclose personal information, do not share passwords, do not meet strangers online and adhere to a certain time for internet use during the day. In particular, every day parents should spend time caring, exchanging and sharing with their children everything that happens during the day; encourage and attract children to participate in social activities, play sports with friends... Thereby strengthening family ties, reducing excessive internet use, especially early detection of abnormalities in children when using social networks to intervene promptly, avoiding unfortunate consequences.

Therefore, in a digital society, blocking and prohibiting children from using the internet and social networks is impossible and not recommended. It is important that parents know how to teach their children safe internet usage skills. To do this, parents also need to have knowledge and skills in using the internet, as well as measures to ensure children's safety when participating in social networks.

Phuong Lieu

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