The role of the Internet in the modern life of children and teenagers: analysis of a sociological survey

Abstract

Achievements in the field of technology, which serve as the foundation of the emerging modern information society, have led to the rapid development of the Internet – a global computer network. The Internet is a mean of social communication that has both positive and negative effects on the global community. Technology has taken a leading position in people’s lives, oftentimes transferring all activities of individuals into the online environment. This is why protection of minors from destructive online content is now becoming urgent. The information environment affects children’s upbringing, as they spend a lot of time online and, by using this opportunity to play and learn, become exposed to negative content. One of the consequences of informatisation has been the increasing role of mass media in the life of both national societies and the global community as a whole. For residents of developed countries, mass media have largely replaced interpersonal communication as the main source of adaptive and meaningful information and, serving as agents of socialisation, now play the key role in forming people’s worldview. Due to current political, economic, moral, and ethical transformations, the level of influence that the information environment has on younger users, is especially high. The findings of the study devoted to the assessment of this influence as well as children and teenagers’ behavior online in general are presented in the article.

Keywords

• teenagers’ online behaviour
• responsibility of teenagers
• internet safety
• online risks
• destructive online content
• information environment
• informatization