The Internet has opened up a world of opportunities, but is there a negative side to all this information and easy contact? Can the internet be a bad influence, on adults as well as children? It’s hard to imagine the world without internet now. It’s an integral part of life for most people. That very familiarity can often be the source of trouble. When something becomes a habit, almost invisible because it is so familiar, people lose perspective and problems begin to occur. In what ways does the internet become a bad influence, a force of negativity, for anyone who uses it?

The first port of call should be the children. From toddlers to teens, the internet is a part of their lives. The younger the child, the easier it is for parents to monitor what they are doing when they access the internet. In reality, a child under eleven shouldn’t be accessing the internet without parental supervision. They simply don’t have the tools to deal with situations which might arise and lead them into danger.

The most common cause for concern is internet paedophilia. Grooming children has become all too common and it is the parents who must talk to their children about such dangers. It is nigh-on impossible for the internet to be effectively policed, and the chances of a paedophile being caught before he does damage to a child are close to zero. Children have to be aware of what is and isn’t appropriate behaviour and what situations should always be avoided. It’s no use relying on school to teach these lessons, the first responsibility falls on the parents who should know the dangers and be able to explain them to their children.

However, it isn’t just adults who are a danger here. Peers can be just as bad and influence. The current fad for ‘sexting’ – sending sexual imagery or comments to another person – occurs most often amongst teens, some as young as thirteen. There is no doubt a great deal of pressure on these children, for they are no more than that, to be ‘cool’, to be ‘in’ and the risk of bullying for a child who refuses to entertain these ideas is increasingly common. The biggest danger here is in the ending of a relationship and those explicit images being posted to the internet by the ‘injured’ party. The BBC have a short film ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12385159) about this and it is worth watching, by adults and children alike, to understand why this is something to be avoided at all costs.

Less of an immediate danger, but worthy of concern is the amount of time young people spend on the internet. Not only does this mean they are getting little to no exercise and adding to obesity problems, they are also at risk because of the insular nature of using the internet. Games such as World of Warcraft and similar role-playing games, literally eat up hours of their time, most of their days on weekends and as much as they can get away with on school days. Not only are they in a fantasy environment where any behaviour is acceptable because it’s ‘just pretend’, they are also in a world most parents don’t understand and don’t know how to police. Social networking sites, Youtube and messenger services such as Skype are all ways for children to be online, doing things their parents have no way to police and often don’t know about. Becoming internet savvy is a must for all parents today. Justice.gov  (http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/links1.htm) has an excellent site dedicated to just this subject.

Are adults adversely affected by the internet? Of course they are. It isn’t difficult to find stories about adults who have run up unbelievable debts because of the ease of online gambling. A few games of bingo, a couple of wins and before too long it’s an addiction and costing more than the finances have to give. Internet gambling is a growing industry, available to just about anyone with a credit card and an internet connection. The chances of winning are minimal, but the lure is there and people are constantly in danger of falling prey to addiction because the next game ‘might be the big one’.

It isn’t just gambling which is a bad influence. Adults have the same access as children, often using the same social network and messenger facilities and it is a frequent occurrence to open a newspaper or magazine and read articles about marriages which have ended in divorce because one or the other of the partners was having an affair over the internet. It’s so easy. Enter a chat-room, make it clear you are available and there will be private chat windows popping up all over the screen. It is undeniable that some people have met, fallen in love and been happily married because of this sort of behaviour, but they are in the minority. Mostly it is dirty, sexual contact which seems harmless, until the other member of the relationship catches a glimpse of a sexy message or opens a file of conversations unexpectedly and all is revealed.

In the end, like everything in life, the internet is good and bad. There is no doubt that it is a fabulous source of information and relaxation, but it is vital people understand the bad influences as well as the good. The internet can destroy lives and have long-reaching consequences which may not be obvious when first sitting down and opening that chat window or game site. Think, understand and apply safety procedures whenever the internet is in use and reduce the risk of adverse influences on the family.