At What Age Is It Acceptable to Allow a Child Unsupervised Internet Use? Essay Example

not control what their children access on the web.

The internet is an incredible advancement. It is a vital tool, particularly for kids looking to know new things. While there is a plethora of questions about the age at which children should be allowed unsupervised internet use, we cannot help but agree that the web has created a fantastic platform for children to learn. Even so, the internet has got its drawbacks, in particular on the development of the child. While the internet has got virtually everything, ranging from good to bad. There are contents on the internet I would not want my kid to be exposed to, that’s if I get one in the future. And I know you too wouldn’t want the same to happen to your children. Worse still, the internet is unpredictable. You never know hoe curious the kids woke up that day.

I’m interested in this topic because the timing couldn’t be more correct. I mean, the timing is impeccable. Look at what technology has done, isn’t amazing? Free internet and text messaging courtesy of the government, has made the internet largest library in the world that can be accessed in 24/7. In 2013, the New York Times reported an incident in Lakeland, Florida of a 12-year-old who committed suicide after allegedly being bullied two teenage girls aged 12 and 15 (Alvarez). The shock revelation left many people worried about the widespread unsupervised internet use among children. The internet slang began “Yes, ik” — I know — “I bullied Rebecca nd she killed herself.” Rebecca threw herself off a cement tower after perhaps she couldn’t take any more of the bullying by

the two over the internet. Backed with the evolving technology, the trend is fast gathering pace. One of the texts Rebecca received online said “drink bleach and die” (Stanglin and Welch).

The incident, Coupled with the alarming rate at which parents are losing grip on the supervised internet use of children, I found worth studying this topic. This topic does not only investigate the right age for unsupervised internet use among children but also explores the ethical problems involved. It’s every parent dream to bring up a morally upright kid, but the truth is, most parents deviate from this course being carried away with other things that they don’t even notice that their kids are surfing freely without any supervision. Like I said before, the internet is a useful tool for children to learn, but it has a bad side, but are the parents the only people at fault? According to Stanglin and Welch.

Experts who have studied social aggression in teens, including bullying via the Internet, say such harassment is a widespread problem that has gained increased attention in the digital age when written threats and taunts live indefinitely online.

This paper will examine in detail the history, media views, other views, ethical perspectives, future challenges, and my reflections about the age at which parents should allow children unsupervised internet use.

The beginning of the twenty-first century saw the fast spread of web use, and web use continues to develop by the day. The internet has turned into an essential segment of life for the vast majority of the industrialized nations, serving all ages for learning, correspondence, entertainment and information gathering (Lee, & Caplovitz, 2002, Livingstone, 2003; Livingstone

& Bober, 2004; Steyer & Clinton, 2003). When the Facebook was introduced in 2004, an increased number of internet users, especially children was experienced (Johansson & Gotestam). Most studies have now focused on the growing number of children with free internet access, the long hours they stay online.
People born at the beginning of the 1990s are known as the digital natives. This is the period when the internet was everywhere. Digital immigrants were the parents to digital natives and unlike their children, they learned this technology as adults.

In most cases, it is the teens who are highly likely to inform the rest of the family members. However, time has created a difference in generation, and that has created a digital gap between children and parents. In other words, curiosity drives children when it comes to internet use, unlike their parents are mostly concerned with the possible risks concerning internet use. An interesting example is that children would not hesitate to contact a stranger online while parents would keep in mind of possible consequences.

America boasts as one of the nations with rapid advancement in technology, especially in information technology. A study has it that homes with children are likely to have computers with the internet connection than those without children. Internet usage is among children is not a new phenomenon. Children with Homes with reliable internet connections have can visit the web and access information ranging from academic to entertainment. Before the enactment of any laws, children were allowed unrestricted access to internet content whenever they wanted and wherever they were. America has seen an immense transformation in ensuring that the content viewed over the internet

is regulated, and not all of it is made available to kids.

Filtering of Internet content accessed by children came to be in 2000 when the Congress passed the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). The Act was soon followed by the Neighborhood Internet Protection Act in a major spending bill that was supposed to be enacted by the president. On 21st of December, 2000 the president signed the bill into law. According to the law the Acts place restrictions on the use of funding that is available through the Library Services and Technology Act, Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and on the Universal Service discount program known as the E-rate. These restrictions take the form of requirements for Internet safety policies and technology which blocks or filters certain material from being accessed through the Internet ("Legal History | Advocacy, Legislation & Issues").

The law was specifically passed to protect children from what the law termed as harmful or obscene content on the Internet. Lewd contented included pornography and other visual depictions that could alter the child’s moral development. The Act majorly targeted schools and public libraries that offered internet services for academic purposes. The law required that these institutions filter every information that could be accessed over the internet by users, especially children. This was if they wanted to retain universal assistance and funding from the federal government.

This law was, however challenged in court by the American Library Association, and it was permanently enjoined a panel of three judges on 30th may, 2002. The ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court on 23rd June 2003. The Supreme held that the law was constitutional

("Legal History | Advocacy, Legislation & Issues").

The media is an important tool in society today not only in uncovering the root but also bringing things many would not have known about to the limelight. The media have varying views on the age children should have an unsupervised internet use. While they could have a broad range of views they tend to one conclusion: parents are not taking a keen interest in what their children are doing over the internet. Some report that the age of unsupervised internet use among children is dropping at a steady rate.

According to CNN, technology is revolutionizing the world. Computers, smartphones, tablets, TVs, and other communication gadgets can now be connected to the internet that is available in every home. Children can now download their favorite apps and visit the web with little or no supervision. In 2011, a report had it that more than 7 million children under the age of 13 joined Facebook. Facebook requires that users be at least 13 years of age to sign up for an account. The report further revealed that by the time kids celebrate their second birthday, at least 90 percent of them visit the internet and create their online history.

When they reach the age of 5, more than half of this population interact with a communication device including smartphones, tablets, and computers. By the time they get 7 to 8 years, a majority of them are spending much time playing video games online. On average, teenagers are texting more than 3,400 times in a single month.

The fact is, by middle school, our kids today are spending more time with media than with

their parents or teachers, and the challenges are vast: from the millions of young people who regret by high school what they've already posted about themselves online to the widely documented rise in cyberbullying to the hypersexualization of female characters in video games (Chelsea Clinton and James P. Steyer).
According to Chelsea Clinton, the internet is changing the way children think. While an extensive study about the effects of the web on the cognitive development of children is yet to be explored, the time spent by children on the internet may be affecting their ability to concentrate, listen, and comprehension in school.

The Telegraph, in 2013, reported that children were spending too much time online. As a matter of fact, they are online double the time their parents think. Most children start using the internet at the average age of three. Most children around this age are viewing self-harm visual depictions, including pornography, eating disorder websites, and animal cruelty. Children are spending too much time online, and the effects are taking a toll on their studies. Many children struggle to cope with offline activities like reading and listening. Netmums.com, a parenting website reported that parents do not take a keen interest in what children do online. In fact, most parents do not have the knowledge that their kids are using the internet and visit whatever they want (Ward).

Parents believe that their children spend an average of one hour online, but this is not true, according to the study reported by the Telegraph. Most of the children confessed that they spent as much as two hours a day online. 75 percent of the kids admitted that they had

a negative experience online, but interestingly, less than 25 percent of the parents knew about it. According to Dr. Aric Sigman, “The problem with this generation is that we accept there should be limits on the consumption of many things, such as sunlight or sugar and salt, but screen time is not something that is thought of as consumption.” Dr. Sigman continues, “What parents often assume is a good pastime is their primary waking activity and the sheer amount of time that children spend at the screen can lead to increased risk of physical disease as well as psychosocial issues.”

Also, the study revealed that about 30 % of parents allowed their kids to use the internet with little or no supervision while about 12 percent allowed children as young as two years to access the internet. Only about 14 percent of the parents wait until their children are at least the age of 10 before they are allowed unrestricted or unsupervised internet use. Most parents support the fact that their children use the internet. Whether supervised or not, parents believe that the continued use of the web has made their children better. They admit that since their children started using the internet, their computer skills have improved, and that could help them in their future jobs. So, most parents do not supervise their kids’ access to the internet because they become better than the parents were at the same age (Ward).

From the studies reported by the two media houses, CNN, and The Telegraph, the story on this issue is quite similar. The mass media tend to agree that children as young as two years are

allowed by parents to use the internet unsupervised. A toddler as young as two has a browsing history. The media also tend to converge at the same point by indicating that most children use the internet without their parents being aware and even if they were, most parents do not restrict the access to the web.

Think of the devices that can be connected to the internet- smartphone, tablets, desktop PCs, laptops, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and other devices- chances are you are online a better portion of your time than you are offline. Most parents want their children to be tech-savvies, and every gadget that can see that will be purchased. Most of the techy devices bought for children are meant for entertainment and learning purposes. At some point, parents have to make the decision about when is the correct time to allow their kids' unsupervised internet access (Smith). The issues, questions they would probably want to ask are; when are they supposed to be online? For what purposes? For how long? And the content. Microsoft took a survey in which 1000 parents and non-parents participated ("How Old Is Too Young To Go Online? - Microsoft On The Issues").

For most parents whether to allow supervised or unsupervised internet access is not the right question. For many of them, the better question is, when to allow that. Some admit having struggled with the right time or age to give their children, their first gaming devices, tablets, and phones. According to the survey, 94 percent of the parents, almost all of them allow their children access to the internet with at least one device or online service.

The poll inquired the age parents would allow their children unsupervised internet access. The survey also asked about technologies such as social sites, smartphones, and online services the parents would allow their kids to use, and the risks involved.

Results showed that parents would allow unrestricted internet and device use at an average age of 8 years. In detail, the survey revealed that non-parents are a little bit harsh when it comes to when and the age they would allow kids unsupervised internet access- 16 per cent stating that they would not allow children between the ages of 4 and 6 to use gaming devices and access the internet without keen supervision. 27 percent of the parents said it was okay. The study reveals that when it comes to internet technologies such are social sites, 19 % of the parents agreed to allow kids between the age of 7 and ten unsupervised internet use.

Response from Parents with children below the age of 7 gave the following result: 29 percent allow their children unsupervised mobile phones use, 40 percent allow their children unsupervised computer use, and 41 percent their children unsupervised gaming.

According to Smith, “If an eight-year-old child is online, unsupervised, without safety guidance, then that seems like a recipe for disaster.” While kids could be knowledgeable enough to download and install apps, they do not know let alone understand what the app permissions require, what is and not acceptable. Microsoft’s survey reports that children of an average age of 11 start using internet technologies without supervision, which according to Smith could be potentially damaging. For example, Rebecca was bullied and terrorized by 12-year-old and 14-year-old and

later committed suicide by jumping from a tower of an abandoned cement plant. Had the parents of the two bullies known of the activities their little girls online, maybe they would have prevented the death of Rebecca.

The director of Microsoft online safety, Kim Sanchez say, "There is no magic age, but rather, parents should take into consideration the appropriateness of their individual family and responsibility or maturity level of their child." While there are varying answers to what age parents should allow unsupervised internet use, many parents and non-parents do not think it is their responsibility to teach children about online safety. According to the survey conducted by Microsoft, 51 percent of the parents who participated responded that the responsibility of education about online safety lies in teachers; 22 percent believe that it is the government’s duty; 28 percent said it’s the tech companies’ job, and 25 percent argue that friends and relatives should be the one to give such guidance.

The topic, “At what age is it acceptable to allow a child unsupervised internet use” can be analyzed in three ethical frameworks; the consequentialist framework, the duty framework, and the virtue framework ("A Framework For Making Ethical Decisions | Science And Technology Studies").

Like it was stated earlier, parents are not bothered whether to allow kids unsupervised internet use or not, but when to allow them is the question. According to the consequentialist framework, the focus is the effects that could occur in the future as a result of actions that taken today. The effects can affect individuals directly or indirectly depending on the course of action they take. This framework has often used the outcome

required is desirable. The internet is an amazing technology, and rightly so. Most parents believe that allowing their kids' access to the internet is beneficial.

The access is granted primarily for children to learn and acquire skills for their future benefit. The ethical framework focuses on the results of an action taken today. Like most parents, techy devices make children knowledgeable. This framework also argues that the consequences of an action taken today cannot be predicted, and this applies to this issue. Most parents allow their kids' unsupervised internet access without anticipating the risks associated with the use of the internet.

Whether to allow unsupervised internet use or not, among children of a certain age is solely up to the parent. Parents have a duty and obligation when considering when to allow unrestricted internet use. Task framework focus on the responsibility bestowed on parents in deciding when to allow unrestricted internet use. Parents have an obligation when deciding when to allow unrestricted internet use no matter the result. Some parents have admitted to being strict when it comes to the use of internet among their kids because of security risks online. However, the framework could be a little harsh because the course taken could be beneficial.

The virtue framework tries to identify the traits that motivate an individual in a given situation. Most parents allow their children unsupervised internet use, which begs the question, what drives such parents to allow that? What character traits do they possess? Some parents do not permit unrestricted internet use at a given age, what character traits do they have? The character traits expressed by parents determine whether kids are allowed access to

the web or not.

The ever-evolving technology is revolutionizing the internet and how it can be accessed and used. Do parents have the power to decide when to allow unsupervised internet use or not?
Most parents are buying techy devices for their children for the purposes of entertainment and learning. Can parents monitor what children with the devices whenever they are using them?
The reason most parents restrict internet usage is online safety. Who is responsible for online security? Is it the responsibility of the parents?
Is the parental awareness, behavior, and attitude regarding the unsupervised internet use among children enough?

Technology is evolving fast and widespread internet changing the way people live in America. Social sites have changed the way people connect, online services have eased the way people access services, and people can now view their favorite videos on YouTube. The internet craze is not only experienced by adults but children too. In 10 years, learning will be much easier than before. Teachers will utilize the internet to teach children more effectively. Children would be taught in virtual school thanks to the widespread internet access ("Here's What The Internet Will Look Like In 5, 10, And 15 Years").

While there might not be recent studies about the challenges of this issue, the internet’s rapid developments may stir problems in the future. Do children use devices with internet connectivity and the widespread internet who knows what they would be capable of in 15-50 years to come? A recent study by the Pew Internet Project revealed that over the past decade the population that visit the internet is steadily growing with 93 percent of teenagers (12-17) going online. In year 2013,

almost 60% of children, ages 3-17 utilized the web at home, which is almost six times more in 1997 which was 11%. In the same year, 79% had a PC at home, an increase from 15% in 1984 ("Home Computer Access and Internet Use", 2015).

The figure below shows the trend of internet use among children, their households from 1984 to 2015. The figure shows a steady growth in the use of computers and the internet among children ("Home Computer Access and Internet Use", 2015).

From the statistics, it is clear that the internet use is and will continue rising in 10, 15, and 50 years to come. The age at which parents allow unsupervised internet use will probably go down from the average age of 8 years as reported by the survey done by Microsoft for around 2 years, thanks to the evolving technology. Technology is revolutionizing things. In 50 years to come there would be internet connection in mars. This is according to George Dvorsky of i09. If there would be an internet connection on mars, how advanced would the earth be technology wise?

I believe the internet is one of the greatest inventions ever made. With the widespread internet, children can now learn with ease and acquire new skills and knowledge. Most parents allow their kids unrestricted internet use because they believe their children are learning. The experience children gain online could be good or bad, but that does not mean children should be denied internet access at any age. While there is no magic age for parents to allow unsupervised internet access, parents should take more responsibility for monitoring what their kids are doing

online and ensure that knowledge of online safety is passed on to the children.

When I was a little kid, the internet, technology was pretty advanced and I remember having a desktop PC in my room. Even though I was connected to the internet, my parents ensured that the proxies supported email services and other chat services that they knew had no threat to my development. This was after they felt I could visit the web with minimal supervision. But before they allowed that, the internet connection was only available in the common room where my parents had full control of whatever I did on the web.

While parents are allowed to exercise absolute control over their children’s activity on the web, I feel like it should not be harsh to a level that it hampers their development. Like I mention earlier in this discussion, the internet is an invention that kids can use to learn and develop their skills. Skills learnt today could prove to be very useful in the future. Parents should not assume that the control they exert is enough. Some kids are little smarter than they seem and can be online without the knowledge of their parents. The two teens that terrorized Rebecca online till she contemplated suicide were clearly not supervised. Had the parents monitored their activities online, then Rebecca would have been alive today.

I believe that the most crucial thing is to utilize the Internet with your kids for whatever length of time that you can. Confine Internet access to a family room (not in the child’s room), where you can easily direct. Be present while they are online and draw

the boundary that should not be crossed. Develop an interest in what they are doing instead of restricting. Make the Internet a family thing instead making it private - for whatever length of time that is conceivable. At that point, you'll have chances to talk about any episodes that emerge and help your kids protect themselves from the dangers of the internet.

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