The Internet
The Internet has become such an important part of human life that most people can hardly imagine not having access to it even for a short period. The Internet is ubiquitous; people of virtually any age find something they need there. It is a powerful tool for working, studying, communicating, getting information on all kinds of issues, and enjoying new ways of entertainment. All these features suggest that people have a resource of great value, which provides huge benefits at present and is likely to grant new, almost unlimited opportunities in the future. Interned-based technologies make advances, which would have seemed fantastic, for example, a decade before. However, the humankind’s enjoyment with all the benefits of the Internet comes, as people have discovered all too soon, at a cost.
Our project has been designed as a response to the hazards of children developing the Internet and computer games addiction. It is a collaborative work of parents, teachers and psychologist of the community who want to bring a difference to children’s lives. The project has a title Not Only Online Networking (NOON) Program, which presents its main goal with basic principles, rules, and goals described and the main methods of implementation specified. It targets primarily school students aged 7 to 16 years and is based on cooperation and joint work of their parents, relatives, and teachers, as well as all other people who share the views laid out in the Program and are willing to contribute to it within the framework. NOON has been designed as a response to the practice of overusing or misusing the Internet by children of school age and their getting too involved in playing computer games. We do not try to stop children play computer games online or give up on communicating via social networks. The project attempts to offer children other options to develop their personalities by different ways and formats of socializing, communicating with each other in real-life situations, cooperating with adults, and enhancing their intellectual potential.
The technological, social, and psychological aspects of the problem have been studied by the authors of the Program, to make it more efficient and successful. These principles and the main strategies of the program are discussed in this paper. The authors of the project will be grateful for the feedback and any kind of cooperation that can be suggested to develop and improve the Program. NOON: Basic Principles The most evident hazard that can have different consequences is spending too much time “bound” to the computer or other digital devices and continuously using the Internet. Excessive use of the Internet affects people’s behavior and social life and develops dependence described by psychologists as a new type of addiction that gives rise to other serious problems. These changes mean that new social patterns of human behavior and communication emerged and are spreading fast. One of the most typical features of the digital era is an easy access to the Internet via multiple gadgets …
