Internet's Impact on Youth: A Persuasive Essay for Communication

This essay critically analyzes the statement that 'the internet is creating a generation of anti-social youth.' It explores both positive and negative impacts of internet use on young people, arguing that uncontrolled internet access can negatively affect their physical, mental, and social stability. The essay discusses issues such as decreased concentration in school due to social media distractions, cyberbullying, reduced face-to-face communication skills, and privacy threats. It also acknowledges some benefits of the internet, such as its role in healthcare and information access, but ultimately concludes that the internet, in its current usage, has done more harm than good to youths, leading to a decline in social skills, academic performance, and overall well-being. The essay references academic sources to support its claims and provides a balanced perspective on the complex relationship between the internet and youth development.

Introduction to Academic Communication 2; Effects of the Internet on Youths 1
INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION 2; EFFECTS OF THE INTERNET
ON YOUTHS
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Introduction to Academic Communication 2; Effects of the Internet on Youths 2
Introduction
The introduction of computers has come up with several issues; both positive and negative in the
society. Computer technology is currently being linked to as a capricious to the antagonism of
social performances, predominantly on the discussion that computers are replacing typical social
exercise. Aligned with social identity issue is described as an unpleasant exceptionality between
the conduct and the overarching social standards (Sezer & İşgör, 2017, p. 362). In most cases,
youths always use the Internet to socialize; however, they can create a social discomfort issue or
an internet routine. The use of internet has become common and regular among the youths, and
most of them have become addicted. Currently, the young people have given the internet priority
over many important things, for instance, most young people prefer being on the internet rather
than playing to gain physical fitness as well as investing in creative acts. Instead, they will flock
Cyber Cafes as they use both home computers and smartphones to browse the internet. In this
case, such excessive application or too much use of the internet can put the lives of these young
men into danger if not controlled as far as social development is concerned (Kim et al.,2017, p.
8). Regarding talent exploits, some may end up ruining their talent because they take too much
time on the computer than they choose to perfect their skills in the field. Similarly, the adolescent
who makes too much of their time on the Internet without parental control are probably creating
a poor a study capabilities, and lack of the abilities to emphasize on their needs as youths.
Argument 01
Everything good must always have both negative and positive effects in the life of human beings,
the same applies to the Internet. The uncontrolled use of it can negatively impact both physical
and mental social stability of a young man. Fr this reason, its use must be checked and regulated

Introduction to Academic Communication 2; Effects of the Internet on Youths 3
to help our young men. Not all the contents that come from the is terrible; however, the
excessive use always hinders an individual’s concentration on other vital issues such as
classwork. For this reason, schools have adopted policies that curb the use of the internet while
learning. The schools have entirely indicated that there is no use or access of social media such
as Facebook, Twitter, among much more. Social media has become an outstanding issue, and the
students have lost concentration in class, their mind is all over the activities that go around the
social world, they think of the uploaded pictures and comments. For this reason, teachers have
had rough and challenging times in dealing with situations related to the use of social media.
Students’ performance has gone down. At home, students cannot concentrate on homework;
instead, they will go through the social media and look at what others are saying. The sleeping
tendency has been wholly interfered with, and they sleep late thus creating an adverse effect on
the health. They have little time to relax and rest, in fact, some take less than four to 5 hours only
to sleep.
Similarly, the innovation of internet has also helped a lot by making some task more
comfortable, for instance, I healthcare system, it is used as major support that patients use it to
seeking for services. Other uses include such as a system for diabetes, versatile apps, for
instance, M-healthcare for daily observation and self-management of diabetes. Another thing that
has cropped up is the issue of cyberbullying. Young men are fond of being vocal on social
media, more than they are active in real life, they have the guts and courage to say anything they
want in society regardless of the consequences. They abuse, insult, and type words that are not
right against different people behind the screens without thinking of the outcome or effects of
what they write. Cyberbullying has a social, mental and academic impact.

Introduction to Academic Communication 2; Effects of the Internet on Youths 4
Argument 02
Daily in our lives, we are presented with the pleasure of invention; improvements, for instance, a
mobile phone that stimulate and encourage us to communicate and come together more than ever
before. However, the introduction of social media and internet has made things difficult for face
to face communication down to a more significant heights. This has in turn affected skills such
as communication skills. As much as Internet brings people closer, it lacks face to face
communication ability which is essential in building teamwork, as well as developing mutual
trust that ends up creating good results. When young men or students goes the Internet way to
communicate, their relationships with close friends and family members are affected (Perloff,
2014). When a friend takes too much time on the Internet and lose concentration, it might hurt
the other party, and the level of friendship reduces until it completely disappears.
As stated earlier, excessive use of Internet creates lack of creativity in the young men thus does
not benefit. As much as it is one of the sources of information when it over-relied upon in
everything or information needed, people stop to think. To the student, the level of assignment
concentration is no longer the same again; students rely on the information they get online than
what they read by themselves from the books. In this case, plagiarism in many institutions has
increased since students use same materials from the Internet.
On the other hand, it is always said that time is money; however, to the Internet users,
especially the young people, this seems to be just a mere saying. Well, when you spend too much
of your time on Internet, it means that other activities will be left pending for that matter. It is
very addictive and has no way to get out once you are into it. The kind of entertainment that the
Internet has come up with has left many youths like slaves to the Internet. They watch films, play

Introduction to Academic Communication 2; Effects of the Internet on Youths 5
virtual games, surf through social media platforms such as Facebook instead of engaging in
constructive activities. The initial purpose of the Internet was not what it has turned to be today;
it was to create efficiency in our work. The students have set the Internet to be a tool for
destruction, making their academic performance level to go down gradually.
With the existence of free of information that flows from the internet, privacy threat is one of the
adverse effects of the Internet that most users should know. Young men exchange pictures,
display private information to the public and other data in connection with individual safety. In
this case, the information provided on the social media can be misused by the strangers to do
some criminal activities that may eventually lead them to conviction (Kumari et al., 2015).
Consequently, the youth should understand that not all information should be exchanged on the
internet.
With these many effects, the youth have turned the society more immoral than it was before, the
community has become mannerless. The level of respect has completely gone down, and the
teens no longer concentrate on the academic activities, they no longer participate in games, they
no longer help the parents, the society has become insecure and much more. In my view, the
internet has done more harm than good to our youths, and its purpose has been abandoned, it has
created a generation of anti-social youth as proved by the effects discussed above.

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List of References
Kim, SY, Kim, M, Park, B, Kim, J, & Choi, HG. (2017). 'The associations between internet use
time and school performance among Korean adolescents differ according to the purpose of
internet use', PLoS ONE, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 1-14. Available from:
10.1371/journal.pone.0174878. [3 May 2018].
Kumari, M, Kaur, N, Chahil, Nk, Kaur, N, Kaur, P, & Kaur, P. (2015). 'Descriptive Study to
Assess The Prevalence And Effects Of Internet Addiction Among Undergraduates', Baba Farid
University Nursing Journal, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 58-62.
Perloff, R. (2014). 'Social Media Effects on Young Women's Body Image Concerns: Theoretical
Perspectives and an Agenda for Research', Sex Roles, vol. 71, no. 11-12, pp. 363-377. Available
from: 10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6. [3 May 2018].
Sezer, F, & İşgör, İY. (2017). 'Lifestyle and social support: The role of Computer/Internet Use',
International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 356-369.