Discursive essay – Children under the age of 16 should not be allowed to access the

internet.

The creation of the internet has erased boundaries and distances that used to hinder
the interaction of the people and the dissemination of information. While this has
brought many benefits to people, it has also allowed the uncontrolled spread of various
negative elements. Parents now have to worry about the negative elements that may
influence their children through the internet. Because of this, some people think that
children under 16 should not be allowed to access the internet. In my opinion, there are
pros and cons of allowing children under the age 16 to access the internet.

The internet offers children the opportunity to gain vast knowledge. Learning should
not limited to the classroom. Through the internet children will be able to obtain
information from around the world. This may even help them in their school work.
Besides that, children may even be able to learn about a variety of subjects which they
may not have the opportunity to learn in school. For example, children may read and
learn about the Eskimos living in the Arctic, which is not included in their school
syllabus. In this way, they can become more knowledgeable.

Allowing children to access the internet will also give them exposure to the latest
technology in the world. Technology develops rapidly, if we do not continuously keep up
with its progress, we will be left behind. We have to make sure that our children are
able to compete globally in the future. Thus, it is essential that they become familiar
with the internet with the internet as early as possible.

On the other hand, children may become addicted to the internet and neglect their
studies. There are many websites that provide games for children to play. Very often,
the player of these games are able to progress to different levels in the game. The
children become addicted because they want to complete all the levels in the game. As
a result, they will play the game all day long and neglect their studies.

Besides this, children who access the internet may also be cheated by unscrupulous
people. Many children like to chat on the internet. The disadvantage of chatting on the
internet is we do not know for sure the identity of the person we are chatting with. A
child may not know that he is chatting with an unscrupulous person and may be easily
deceived. There have been many reported cases of children being lured away from
home and forced to take part in children pornography and other illegal activities.
Therefore, the internet may actually pose a danger to children.

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 In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages of allowing children to access
the internet. On the one hand, children are able to widen their knowledge and broaden
their minds. They will also be able to keep up with the latest technology. However, there
is always the possibility of children becoming addicted to certain websites on the
internet, causing them to neglect their studies. Worse still, they could unknowingly put
themselves in danger. Anyhow, I think that children should be allowed to access the
internet to obtain the benefits available, but they need to be taught to manage their
time properly. Besides that, they should be made aware of the possible dangers when
chatting on the internet.

(547 words)

Written by Mrs. Intelligent