International Information Network Linking Computers". The Internet Although Unfamiliar and A

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Introduction

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

is a variation of students within this institution.

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

widespread effects the internet is having on adolescent lifestyles can be witnessed in

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.

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Problem Statement

The Internet has fostered both positive and negative changes in the lives of adolescents and

may result in either a more advanced or repugnant lifestyle.

2
Research Questions

 What are the many uses of the internet?

 How dependent are adolescents on the internet?

 Does the internet affect adolescents’ performance in school?

 Do the adolescents attending Manchester High School become less social as a result of

their constant use of the internet?

 Describe both positive and negative effects the internet has on adolescents of

Manchester High School.

 What role do parents play in ensuring that the effect the internet has on their children is

a positive one?

 What measures can be adopted to prevent negative influences by the internet?

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Definition of Key Terms

Adolescent (Interchangeable with teen and teenager)

A young person who has undergone puberty but who has not reached full maturity

Internet

An international information network linking computers

Net

Abbreviation for Internet

Web

The World Wide Web

Website

A collection of web pages with a common theme or source

Social Network

This is an online community allowing for the interaction between friends.

Explicit

Speaking or stated plainly

Vulgar

Referring inappropriately to sex or bodily functions; lacking refinement.

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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

very early age dues to its easy accessibility.

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.

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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

interactions with their parents or other trusted adult figures.

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

technological advancement. Some benefits may even be included in terms of academia.

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

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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

distant locations can collaborate their efforts, thanks to the Internet.”

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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

headings: primary sources and secondary sources.

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

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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

of Surgery. He is also prominent Psychiatrist and an Associate Professor at the National

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.

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Presentation of Findings

Donut Graph Showing the Percentage of Male and Female


Respondents

Boys
Girls
50% 50%

Figure 1.

Column Graph Showing the Percentage and Gender of Repondents


with Internet Access
120%

100%
Column Graph Showing
80% the Percentage and
Gender of Repondents
with Internet Access
60%

40%

20%

0%

Figure 2.

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Column Graph Showing where Adolescents Acess the Internet

35

30

25

20 Respondents

15

10

0
Home School Internet Café

Figure 3.

Column Graph Showing The Time Spent Daily on the Internet

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.

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Pie Chart Showing Students Response to being
either Addicted to or Dependent on the
Internet
15% Addicted
23% Dependent
Neither

63%

Figure 5.

Donut Graph Showing the Number of Respondents involved With A


Particular Social Network

1
11
Facebook
5 Twitter
Myspace
38 Hi5
None

22

Figure 6.

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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

Surf the net

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.

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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”.

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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

effective in ensuring “clean” use of the internet.

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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

window into virtual experience as opposed to the latter, a tool of academia.

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

to be made. The results of figure 2 complimented a statement made previously by Dr.

Munidasa Winslow. Dr Winslow stated that there had been an increase in the accessibility of

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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.

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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

intentionally gain access to.

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

achievements by entertainment. Results of this nature leave us tagging the internet as a

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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’

grades and although a truism, the results of Figure 13 is to be specifically noted.

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

surprising as it would be expected that adolescents in the presence of their parents or

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

messaging checking email, social networking, entertainment

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Conclusion

The research conducted proved a very useful tool in establishing the effects of the internet

on adolescent behaviour in Manchester High School.

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

was not a factor displayed by the adolescents of Manchester High.

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

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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.

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Limitations and Recommendations

Limitations

The study conducted has been limited by many factors -

 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

population at large seeing that only forty adolescents were surveyed.

 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

their internet surfing

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 The negatives of viewing explicit content on the internet can be discussed with the

adolescents, hopefully dissuading them from viewing such web pages

 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.

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Bibliography

Book:

Jane D Brown; Jeanne R Steele; Kim Walsh- Childers


(2001). Sexual Teens, Sexual Media
Abstract by: Stern, Susannah, (page 265).
LEA’s Communication Series.
Publisher: Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum, 2002

Newspapers:

 Burnett, E. (2008 March 2).


The Jamaica Gleaner.

Internet Sources:

 Oak, Manali (1974, January)


Positive Effects of the Internet
Abstract Retrieved April 10, 2010, from
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/positive-effects-of-internet.html

 Winslow, M. (2008, January)


Prevalence and Correlates of Excessive Internet Use among Youth in Singapore
Abstract Retrieved January 23, 2010, from
http://www.annals.edu.sg/PDF/37VolNo1Jan2008/V37N1p9.pdf

 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

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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.

1. How old are you?

12 and Under

13-15

15-17

18 or Older

2. What is your gender?

Male

Female

3. Do you have access to the internet?


Yes

No

Occasionally (away from home)

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

5. How many days of the week do you use the internet?

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

Never, i always spend the time intended

Occasionally

Rarely

7. Do you see the need to minimize the amount of time you spend on the internet?

Yes, but I find I find it hard to

No, not at all

I don’t think I spend that long

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8. Do you believe that you are internet dependent or addicted to the internet?

Dependent

Addicted

Neither

9. What do you do most on the internet?

Entertainments (watch movies, listen to music etc.)

Check your email

Research information

Instant messaging

Social Networking

10. Are you involved in any of the following social networks?

Facebook

Twitter

Hi5

Myspace

None

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11. Tick the boxes you believe are explicitly lewd or violent contents on the internet

Sexual content (pictures, videos and articles)

Violent content (pictures, videos and articles)

Music with lewd lyrical content (audio, videos and lyrics)

All of the above

None of the above

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?

Every time I go online

Frequently

Not frequently

Rarely

14. Which do you prefer?

Playing board games

Surfing the net

Playing sports

Reading

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15. Which of the following activities do you engage in the most?

Reading

Sports

Surf the internet

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

Some, but not others

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18. What do you believe is the most effective method that may be adopted to monitor
what adolescents view while surfing the internet

Parental Oversight Filters Disconnection of the Net

Parental Block on Provocative sites

19. How often o you us the net for school related purposes?

Everyday

Rarely

Only for research papers

Only if I cannot find the information my books

20. Do your grades suffer as a result of the time you spend online?

Yes, but not significantly

No

Yes

21. Have you ever used internet lingo or slangs while speaking or writing at school?

Yes, occasionally

No, Never

Yes, but it rarely happens

Rarely

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23. Your household rules on Internet surfing is more like

No internet access

Access only when parents are around

Allowed to surf on special occasions

No Rules

Access allowed for a certain time period

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