Today in duh: Children of today are too reliant on technology. The Internet and gadgets are thwarting organic learning. Kids are increasingly antisocial. They don’t properly understand the implications of social media; what with privacy and predators and eternally archived information. Everything around kids and The Internet is dangerous and no good can be derived.
Seriously, this has been empirically supported by a recent study, guys. Global computer security software company MacAfee did a survey of 500 tweens (children aged between eight and 12) and found more than two-thirds of kids globally, and one-quarter of kids in Australia, are on Facebook even though the minimum age stipulated in the user policy of Zuckersite is 13.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said he was surprised to learn that children were spending up to 1.5 hours on internet-enabled devices each day, and 20% of this tween segment are posting selfies to the Instagrams.
We’re not refuting that a certain maturity level helps in using the Internet and social media. The year is 2013 though, and the reported “1.5 hours on internet-enabled devices each day” has likely been offset by television viewing, a product of the times, or whatever. Let’s just halfheartedly declare that “kids will be kids” – a far better and less hilariously misguided summation than “Aussie kids addicted to the internet” as tech blog IT Wire declared. PLEASE.
Via ABC News
Title image by Romeo Gacad via Getty
