|
Tuesday, 30 January 2007 14:34 |
 A new study conducted by the University of Southern California reveals, among other things, that 21 percent of American parents think their children are online too much, as compared to 49 percent who complain that their children watch too much TV.
The dissatisfaction with online use is up from six years ago, when only 11 percent of parents had the same gripes.
The study shines some interesting light on why people use the Internet, why others donët and why some ÇƒÓ especially parents ÇƒÓ are dissatisfied.
While
the number of parents complaining about their children using the
Internet totals about one in five, the majority still seem to have a
positive opinion, at least more so than they do about television.
Rightly so, in our view. The Internet, for all its flaws, is a far more active medium. Users search out information.
For all that
cultural curmudgeons may complain about its influence, on the whole the
Internet has opened up a huge range of knowledge to more people than
ever before.
While hardly the
panacea for societyës ills that some of its more enthusiasitc advocates
have portrayed it to be, it remains an amazingly innovative tool that
has irrevocably altered the media landscape and spurred intellectual
innovation, mostly for the better.
Those who whine
about the old gatekeepers losing their influence end up coming off as
pining for an era that never really existed. The past few centuries
have been in large part the tale of knowledge increasingly moving from
the hands of the few to the hands of the many. While this process often
has turbulent and even bloody results, it also frees a huge number of
people and minds.
TV, on the other hand, despite the occasional excellent offering, is an essentially passive medium responsible for much dreck.
Especially with a child, the Internet, despite its pitfalls, should be chosen over TV any day.
Still, as
Aristotle urged, "Everything in moderation" is a good general rule.
Anyone, especially children, also needs to be getting out into the
non-virtual world, forming relationships and experiencing life.
The Internet can be a useful tool, but it is just that ÇƒÓ a tool ÇƒÓ and not a substitute for a life well-lived.
|
