International Information Network Linking Computers". The Internet Although Unfamiliar and A
International Information Network Linking Computers". The Internet Although Unfamiliar and A
International Information Network Linking Computers". The Internet Although Unfamiliar and A
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the Internet on adolescent
behaviour among the students of Manchester High School. Manchester High School is located
at 9 Perth Road, Mandeville Manchester and is zoned for commercial and residential use. There
A definition proposed by the Little Oxford Dictionary Thesaurus for the term internet is “an
international information network linking computers”. The internet although unfamiliar and a
mystery to some has become a necessity for the majority of the world’s population. It is the
first interactive medium that allows for people from all over the world to communicate and
work with each other as well as view videos, play music and game and have access to an
unlimited supply of information on any topic. Of the population, the internet is more popular
among adolescents, having both positive and negative effects on their lifestyle.
An adolescent is defined as a young person who has undergone puberty but who has not
reached full maturity. This speaks to an age category of between 13 and 21 years. The
Manchester High School and so this research has been designed to explain the sudden increase
in interest by this group and the effects that result from its frequent use.
1
Problem Statement
The Internet has fostered both positive and negative changes in the lives of adolescents and
2
Research Questions
Do the adolescents attending Manchester High School become less social as a result of
Describe both positive and negative effects the internet has on adolescents of
What role do parents play in ensuring that the effect the internet has on their children is
a positive one?
3
Definition of Key Terms
A young person who has undergone puberty but who has not reached full maturity
Internet
Net
Web
Website
Social Network
Explicit
Vulgar
4
5
Literature Review
This chapter will briefly review some specific factors that are relevant to the study and
represent a survey of important articles, books and other sources pertaining to the research
topic. This review of the professional literature is relevant to the research question as it will
help to contextualize the research. The Researcher strives to identify and discuss the effects of
the internet on adolescent lives. In a bid to find these answers, the researcher used studies on
common social factors associated with delinquent behaviour along with various media
influences.
In an abstract written by Dr Munidasa Winslow (2008), she described just how the
explosive growth of internet usage has been worldwide and even stated that while the internet
provides tremendous educational benefits; excessive Internet use can lead to negative
outcomes such as poor school performance and social isolation. Dr Munidasa went on further
to state that the internet has become more accessible in homes, schools, colleges, libraries and
internet cafe; access is further aided with the increasing affordability of home computers over
the last decade. This view coincides with many other studies done as preliminary studies have
shown that a large number of children and adolescents are being exposed to the internet at a
It is this ease of access which has caused the internet to have such a profound effect on the
lives of young people, granting them full access to a seemingly infinite amount of information.
6
Susannah Stern, one of the authors of the book Sexual Teens, Sexual Media, described the
activities of teens using the internet as “Shaking the tree of knowledge for the forbidden fruit”.
After her thorough examination of the teenage internet addicts, she inferred that teenagers
viewed information on varying topics, not only as entertainment but also as a means by which
they can learn and become more experienced in a given area such as pornography. Teenagers
learn about sexuality, contraception, sex habits and much more, all of which they believe makes
them better versed in that subject area. This information although part of their development
should not be “learnt” via the internet but rather in a social environment, preferably through
Although there are many arguments presented to highlight the negative effects of the
internet, we must not forget that there are just as many that argue the positive effects of this
According to Gilbert Valdez, Ph. D, the director of The North Regional Technology in Educational
Consortium (NRTEC); “Technology is a catalyst for teaching and learning in the classroom.” Mr.
Valdez went on to say “Placing a computer in a classroom may be one of the most effective
ways to get information from the teacher to students.” These statements in the researchers
belief, although he does not directly use the word “internet”, adheres to the fact that the
internet being one of these most advanced forms of technology indeed does generally has a
positive impact on the education system. In an article entitled ‘Technology in School’ published
by the Jamaica Gleaner on Monday July 15, 2005, Mrs. Ester Tyson, the proud principal of
Ardenne High school stated that “Technology has created the gap in the education system in
which students are able to improve their grades, without having to run down to the nearest
7
library, or having to spend hours search through books to find information.” Mrs. Tyson is
deemed a credible source as she has been in the education system for over 20 years.
On a much broader scale however the added benefits of the internet as discussed in an online
article written by Manali Oak an established Author and retired Software Engineer is quoted as;
“The Internet provides some of the most effective means of communication. Emails and instant
messages have made online communication possible. Social networking and blogging websites
and online discussion forums have proved being popular platforms of expression. People in
different parts of the world can collaborate over the Internet. They can exchange views, share
information and work together over the Internet. It was the development of the Internet that
made online education and distance learning possible. Professionals working in physically
8
9
Data Collection Sources
The information accumulated, compiled and organised for this assessment has been
gathered from various sources. These sources have been categorised under two main
Primary sources are those that provide information directly such as people, and being a
quantitative study, this research included the use of a questionnaire. The questionnaire which
was distributed to the adolescents of Manchester High School comprised of twenty- one
questions. These questions were designed to provide the research with as much information
as possible while remaining unambiguous and as clear as possible to those to whom it was
issued. This included the construction of both open and close ended questions. The
participants for the questionnaire were selected using the random stratified approach.
In an effort to make the respondents as comfortable and willing as possible, I opted for a mix
of delivery mode, hand and email for the questionnaires to reach the respondents. This
allowed for the respondents to view and respond to the questionnaire during their own time,
without feeling pressured. The respondents were also assured of their confidentiality, which
encouraged them to express themselves freely and to respond to the questions honestly.
Secondary sources include the Little Oxford Dictionary Thesaurus and Worldpower Guide, and
“Sexual Teens, Sexual Media”, containing an abstract written by Susannah Stern. The research
also includes works done by Gilbert Valdez, Ph. D, the director of The North Regional
10
Technology in Educational Consortium (NRTEC) and two online articles written by Manali Oak;
an established Author and retired Software Engineer in the year 2008, and the other by Dr
Munidasa Winslow, the co author of an article titled; “Prevalence and Correlates of Excessive
Internet Use among Youth in Singapore. Dr. Winslow has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor
University of Singapore with Duke University; these among other accomplishments have made
him aware of the topic of this research, making him a credible source . Other secondary sources
also included a newspaper article of March 2, 2008 published by The Gleaner, the most popular
and largest newspaper publishing company in Jamaica and the Caribbean at large.
These methods of administration proved effective as of the forty persons selected all
questionnaires were completed and returned, meaning the research had a one hundred
percent (100%) response rate. The methods chosen also had added benefits to the researcher
as the methods opted for were cheap and administration was quick.
11
Presentation of Findings
Boys
Girls
50% 50%
Figure 1.
100%
Column Graph Showing
80% the Percentage and
Gender of Repondents
with Internet Access
60%
40%
20%
0%
Figure 2.
12
Column Graph Showing where Adolescents Acess the Internet
35
30
25
20 Respondents
15
10
0
Home School Internet Café
Figure 3.
50%
45%
40%
35%
30% Respondents
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1-2 Hours 3-4 Hours 5-6 Hours Over 6 Hours
Figure 4.
13
Pie Chart Showing Students Response to being
either Addicted to or Dependent on the
Internet
15% Addicted
23% Dependent
Neither
63%
Figure 5.
1
11
Facebook
5 Twitter
Myspace
38 Hi5
None
22
Figure 6.
14
Bargraph Showing Teens Most Frequent Online Activity
School Work
Instant Messaging
Number of Responses
Check Email
Entertainment
Social Networks
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Figure 7.
Girls
No
yes
Boys
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Figure 8.
15
Rarely
Girls
Not Frequently Boys
Frequently
Whenever I go online
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Figure 9.
other
watch television
Girls
Read Boys
Sports
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Figure 10.
16
Not Significantly
Girls
Boys
No
Yes
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Figure 11.
Line Graph Showing What Adolescents Believe are The Effects of Using the
Internet
16
14
12
10
8
6
4 Response
2
0
Figure 12.
17
Pie Chart Showing Adolescents Response on Measures to ensure
"Clean" Internet Use
Parental Oversight
Filters
Disconnection
Timed Use
Figure 13.
18
Interpretation of Findings
The first diagram, labelled figure 1, is a Donut shaped graph. The diagram, showed the
gender and percentage of the respondents. As seen in the diagram, the male to female ratio
was equal, as fifty percent (50%) of the respondents were male and the other fifty, females.
The fifty percent represented the twenty female and twenty male respondents.
The third diagram, labelled figure 3 is a column graph. Its shows the various means through
which the teens were able to access the internet. The fourth diagram depicted the amount of
time spent by the respondents on the net. The diagram clearly showed that the mode time for
most of the respondents was at least 3-4 hours daily viewing web pages. This result maybe
better explained by figures 5, 6 and 7. Figure 4 displayed that a large percentage of the
respondents believed that they were dependent on the internet, rather than addicted to it,
which compliments the results displayed in figure 4. The reason for such dependency is clearly
illustrated in figures 6 and 7: entertainment and social networking and backed up by a result
showing the most popular social network being Facebook, of which 38 of the 40 respondents
were involved.
When asked if they viewed explicitly lewd or violent web pages both male and female
respondents had a relatively positive response rate. More boys as seen in Figure 8 answered
“yes” to the question, while more girls responded saying “no”. Interestingly of the twenty boys
interviewed only three responded with a “No”. When asked how frequently they viewed
explicitly lewd or violent web pages the more popular response was “Frequently”.
19
Figures 9, 10, and 11 were all interconnected as they influence each other. Figure 9 was a bar
graph which showed the frequent activities of the adolescents. As clearly displayed by the
diagram, the most popular activity of the lot presented to the respondents was internet surfing.
This was so for both the male and female respondents. Taking this into account, the
adolescents were then asked if they believe their internet usage affected their grades. Figure 10
displays the results of this. The overwhelming response from the boys was “yes” while the
majority of the girls responded “not significantly”. Figure 10 also showed that the internet
surfing was not the only activity the adolescents of Angels engaged in, whenever they had free
time. The diagram shows that they read, watch television, played sports and took part in other
activities.
Figure 13 displayed the most effective measures in ensuring proper and “clean” use of the
internet as selected by the adolescents. The respondents were provided with four options from
which they were then asked to select which of the four measures they believed would be most
20
Discussion of Findings
The overall findings of the research that have been brought forward were very similar to
the literature used in the study. All the literatures and studies used indicated that the internet
has both positive and negative effects on adolescent and although the negative effects tend to
dominate the spotlight, there are numerous positives to be derived by adolescents ranging
from academia to entertainment. One fact that still remains unchallenged, however, is that the
internet is indeed information. Using the various studies as well as the respondents of this
research, it is now clearer that the actual problem arises when the information is manipulated
by the teens. The manipulation can either have a positive result or a negative, for example,
instead of being used to view pornography it could be used to learn about sexually transmitted
diseases, abstinence and good sexual habits. In the former case the use would be one of a
The information presented in figure 1 showed that the number of female and male
respondents were equal. This was a predetermined approach set to eliminate gender
discrepancies throughout the research. The column graph labelled figure 2; showed that all the
respondents chosen to answer the questionnaire had access to the internet, thereby increasing
the effectiveness of this study in attaining the desired purpose of the research. This proved
useful throughout the research where comparisons between the two gender groups were able
Munidasa Winslow. Dr Winslow stated that there had been an increase in the accessibility of
21
the internet. This can be concluded to be true for the adolescents attending Manchester High
School, as all respondents issued a questionnaire had internet access. The increasing
accessibility can also be noted as the students consist of varying family types, including; single
parenting and nuclear families, most of which fall into the income category aligned to the
middle class. The fact that all respondents had access to the net as depicted in Figure 2 and 3,
suggest that internet access is attainable by those members of society considered to be middle
class. The internet therefore is not only attainable by the upper-class as was originally thought
but is a rather common technological advancement found in the homes of those living in the
community.
Figures 4 and 5 were concerned with the time spent by the community adolescents on the
net, and their own classification as either addicted or dependent on the internet. The most
popular responses received were that the adolescents spent at least 3 hours daily on the
internet with the majority of the respondents believing that they are dependent on the internet
rather than addicted to it. This response coincided with studies done by Susannah Stern, who
has spent time observing teenage internet addicts categorised as those who spend an average
at least 5-6 hours daily engaging in online activities. Figures 6 and 7 then suggested reasons for
the time spent online by the adolescents. The more popular answers were; social networking
and entertainment (watching videos, listening to music and viewing pictures). These activities
are what are believed to contribute to the negative effects on the adolescent lifestyle, an
opinion which supports Figure 7 as the results show that less than five of the entire sample
group chose school work as the reason for their frequency online. This is also suggestive to us
that the internet may prove to be a distraction to the adolescents of Manchester High School.
22
Figures 8 and 9 highlighted one of the major negatives of the internet’s use, that is, the viewing
of inappropriate or vulgar information. The result of the diagrams depicts that the boys
attending Manchester High School are frequent viewers of explicit web pages and do so more
than the girls from the school. These children as said by Susannah Stern are “Shaking the tree
of knowledge” and are going be affected in one way or another by the information they
Figures 10 however had a positive observation. It has often times been said that ,persons
who are frequent users of the net, even if they are not classified as “addicts” tend to become
anti-social, and in a sense become introverts. This is due to the fact that, instead of engaging in
social activities, such as playing sports or games, going out or even talking to other individuals;
these persons spend their time on the internet isolating their physical self from their friends
and family. This may be the case for some of the boys and girls attending Manchester High as
once again surfing the net had the highest response from both boys and girls. On the other
hand although “surfing the net” had the higher response rate the boys and a few girls were
found to have been involved in sports and watching television, activities which are usually done
with family or friends. The girls were seen to enjoy reading. This would then suggest that the
sample group was well rounded. That is until Figure 11 depicted a major negative related to the
effects frequent internet use has on the teens of Manchester High. The results therein showed
that the majority of the boys suffered academically while the girls believed that their grades
were not significantly affected by their internet use. Based on the results of Figure 11 it is
obvious that the Manchester High adolescents are distracted from their academic pursuits and
23
serious hindrance to the academic development of the males much more than the females and
as such, the role of parents and the related oversight function in the adolescent lives is very
important as they have to monitor the proper and clean use of the internet. This would then
detract from a pronouncement made by Mrs. Ester Tyson, the principal of Ardenne High school.
Mrs. Ester Tyson believes that technology, like the internet can be used to improve students’
The last two diagrams; Figures 12 and 13 depicts what the adolescents consider are the benefits
they receive from using the internet and measures taken to monitor adolescents use of the
internet, respectively. It is apparent that the most common benefit enjoyed is that of
entertainment, a result we did not find surprising as throughout the research entertainment
appeared to be one of the factors attracting adolescents to the internet. While in the case of
Figure 13 the overwhelming response was that of “Parental Oversight”. This response is not
guardians would not engage in the viewing of any indecent or crude explicit web pages or
activity or spend significant amount of time surfing the net. Their activities included, instant
24
Conclusion
The research conducted proved a very useful tool in establishing the effects of the internet
We discovered via this medium that the adolescents attending Manchester High all have access
to the internet and are frequent users of this aspect of technology. Although their use is
frequent, for the most part the internets’ use was not for academia or any purpose so related
but for entertainment. The results of the research highlighted a distinct difference in the sexes
as the girls seem to be derived a positive effect while for the boys they suffered academically, a
status directly attributable to their frequent use of the internet. In the case of the girls, the
results of the questionnaire revealed that though dependent they were not addicted to the
internet and their performance in school was not significantly affected by their two to three
hour daily internet use. On the other hand, the boys used the internet for two hours more than
the girls and spent most of the time online for recreational purposes. The majority of the boys
also admitted to frequently viewing explicit web pages, and this too was translated into their
academic status and behavioural patterns displayed at school. Isolation from family and friends
The research also highlighted the fact that parental control in adolescents’ use of the internet
was extremely important in achieving the desired academic results for these adolescents
whether boy or girl. The girls clearly on their own had a more controlled and focused use of the
internet and again the boys were more negatively affected but then this could be attributable
25
to our socialisation process which sees more parental control being exercised over girls than
boys.
In concluding therefore the findings were that for adolescents attending Manchester high
School, the effects whether positive or negative were directly related to the activities engaged
in by them online.
26
Limitations and Recommendations
Limitations
Local sources were difficult to find because of the lack of related information needed.
Some of the information found on the websites may have been skewed as persons may
have added their own ideas and opinions to the online articles.
Another limiting factor that may have affected the validity of the information gathered
for the research conducted is that some of the persons who wrote on some of the
websites are contributors and not the actual authors. This would mean that they may
not necessarily have intimate experience with the topic being dealt with.
The sample size was small and not necessarily representative of a true outcome of the
The questionnaire had subjective and close-ended type questions which limited the
choices of the respondents. This affected the overall quality and reliability of the study.
Recommendations
After completing this research there are some recommendations which we feel
compelled to make:
The adolescents can minimise the amount of time spent surfing the internet
In the case of the male adolescents, more school related work ought to be included in
27
The negatives of viewing explicit content on the internet can be discussed with the
The parents should oversee their children’s’ use of the internet when they are home,
and put measures in place such as filters and parental blocks for periods of absences.
28
Bibliography
Book:
Newspapers:
Internet Sources:
Valdez, Gilbert
Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom
Abstract Retrieved April 17, 2010 from
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te600.htm
29
Questionnaire
Instructions: Most of the questions are close ended and require only a tick in the box(s)
provided . Note: Tick all the responses that apply. Please write your responses to the other
questions on the line spaces provided. Specific instructions are given in these cases. Kindly
answer all questions honestly.
12 and Under
13-15
15-17
18 or Older
Male
Female
No
30
4. On a given day, how often do you use the internet?
1 hour or less
2-4 hours
5-6 hours
Over 6 hours
1-2
3-4
5-7
None
6. How often do you spend longer than you intended on the internet?
Every time I go on
Occasionally
Rarely
7. Do you see the need to minimize the amount of time you spend on the internet?
31
8. Do you believe that you are internet dependent or addicted to the internet?
Dependent
Addicted
Neither
Research information
Instant messaging
Social Networking
Hi5
Myspace
None
32
11. Tick the boxes you believe are explicitly lewd or violent contents on the internet
12. Have you ever viewed explicitly lewd or violent content on the internet?
Yes
No
13. How often have you viewed web pages with explicit contents?
Frequently
Not frequently
Rarely
Playing sports
Reading
33
15. Which of the following activities do you engage in the most?
Reading
Sports
Other
16. “The internet is affecting the lives of teens negatively” what do you think of this
statement?
I agree
I disagree
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
17. Do you believe that the internet has influenced the increase in activities such as
smoking, drinking, drugs and sexual acts among adolescents?
I agree
I disagree
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
34
18. What do you believe is the most effective method that may be adopted to monitor
what adolescents view while surfing the internet
19. How often o you us the net for school related purposes?
Everyday
Rarely
20. Do your grades suffer as a result of the time you spend online?
No
Yes
21. Have you ever used internet lingo or slangs while speaking or writing at school?
Yes, occasionally
No, Never
Rarely
35
23. Your household rules on Internet surfing is more like
No internet access
No Rules
36