Louv, R. (1995, October 7). Downside of teens online is isolation. San Diego Union Tribune, pp. E1, E5.

OVERVIEW

"I’m concerned about my son," writes Al Perlman, publisher of Inter@ctive Week, a magazine for the online industry. "He’s 13 and I’m losing him. Not to drugs. Not to gangs. To the online world." According to Perlman, his son comes home from school every day and goes directly to the computer. He logs on to American Online, checks his e-mail, and surfs the World Wide Web. Perlman says that on weekends his son logs on to the computer as soon as he gets up in the morning. "He has the television running in the background to keep himself occupied while waiting for information to download," says Perlman.

There are upsides to teens’ growing interest in going online. Intellectual stimulation is a big benefit. As the Internet expands in terms of educational programs and information resources, kids will benefit. In addition, explains Perlman, a teen in cyberspace "often needs to keep pace with adults in both knowledge and concepts." And while children may not need to be pushed toward adulthood any faster, it is true that some kids need more intellectual stimulation than others.

In fact, parents of intellectually talented kids who are bored with school are often urged to buy multimedia computers for their homes. Having access to a personal computer (PC) allows a kid to satisfy his or her curiosity without being restricted by the capabilities of classmates. However, a teen’s growing interest in online computing may come at the expense of his or her interest in other activities. Perlman says that his son spends less time outdoors, is less interested in physical activities, and is less interested in learning about the things that interest his friends.

The results of a new study conducted by the media research organizations FIND/SVP and Grunwald Associates are provocative, however. The study found that

• Television viewing declines dramatically when children have access to a home computer.
• Parents estimate that nearly 40 percent of their children’s home computer time is spent playing games, but the majority of the remaining time is spent writing homework papers or using online services.
• Of those families that have home computers, about 14 percent of children use online services.
• Children like to collaborate on PCs at home. In nearly half of the households surveyed, siblings participate together in PC activities.
• Children who go online are more likely to be involved in sports, outdoor activities, volunteer activities, and private music lessons.

Researcher Peter Grunwald admits that the study’s findings may be hard to believe, particularly the last point. (The study was sponsored by leading U.S. learning, computer industry, and media companies; this fact deserves consideration.) However, he rejects the idea that computers promote family isolation while television brings families together. He feels that television is the isolating force because many kids now have TVs in their bedrooms and that PCs have the power to bring families together because they are usually centrally located in the household.

Richard Louv, the article’s author, states that regardless of what studies show, it appears that the reason for kids’ isolation these days is not the technology itself but an empty social environment within the community. "What positive alternatives to cyberspace are we creating for children, particularly teenagers?" he asks.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What do you think of the article? Have you ever considered the potential problem of kids becoming isolated through their online activities?
2. What kinds of tools could be provided on the Internet that would keep kids interested in the world around them?

IMPLICATIONS

1. The increasing interest of young people in going online has mixed implications. While their online journeys expose them to a wealth of information, these trips through cyberspace may become so intriguing that kids begin to shut out former pastimes in favor of surfing the Internet.
2. To keep online time from becoming a substitute to television, parents need to monitor their teens’ online use and encourage them to partake in alternative activities that require them to entertain themselves.
3. A PC can be a powerful tool in a child’s educational development. Interesting programs on the Internet welcome young people into the world of computers, which is an important step in preparing them for an increasingly computerized society.
4. Making community programs available to young people may help kids strike a balance between online time and other activities.