Children of the digital age have almost become enslaved to the Internet. It is where they go to study, seek entertainment, socialize, and play. While the World Wide Web provides a student with a powerful learning tool which can help them do their homework and complete their school or college projects, it is also the place where kids and teenagers get stuck as flies in the spider’s web.

In this article, we will cover five major ways in which the Internet affects the performance and behavior of students of all grades:

The Internet is a powerful tool for academic purposes

A study published in the International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research in October 2016 suggested that the net helps students in their academic as well as professional life and enhances their skills and capabilities.

The study was conducted on undergraduate students at the University of Abuja, Nigeria. It revealed that many students had effective computer skills and preferred to use the net from home. They mainly used it as a tool to aid their research, prepare assignments, and access current and reliable information sources. At Abuja, the internet was found to have a great impact on the academic performance of college students.

It also mentions previous studies that had similar findings. A study by Mashra, Yadav, and Bisht surveyed the undergraduate students of College of Agriculture and Technology of Pantnagar, India and revealed that 61.5% of male students and 51.6% of female students used the Internet to prepare their assignments. Another one conducted in the Engineering Colleges of Punjab, India found that 30.8% of students used the Internet in the college for two to four hours per day – mainly for education and research purposed. About half of the students also used the net to communicate with others and to consult technical reports.

Students saw improvement in face-to-face communication skills by using the Internet

A 2014 study by Ellore, Niranjan, and Brown made a surprising revelation. The use of Internet improves one’s communication skills in the real world!

The study was conducted on college students in a Historically Black College. Though it was expected that students who spend more time on the Internet will have less time for face-to-face communication, the study proved that using the net reduced anxiety levels in students, improve the existing relationships they had, and helped them to build new relationships.

Interacting with known and unknown people in the virtual world made it easier for students to face similar situations in the real world.

Blended learning web tools can help students learn better

ScienceDirect published a study in 2015 which observed the use of blended learning web tool among accounting students in Malaysia. The blended learning is about combining traditional classroom learning with online learning using various web tools such as Moodle, Web 2.0 and Blackboard. It allows students to access the learning material anytime, anywhere.

The study introduced Blendscape as a web tool to promote student-centered learning to research participants. It was found that involving students in the learning process through the web learning tools improved their self-confidence, communication skills, analytical thinking skills, and teamwork skills. It made students proactive and encouraged them to do self-study.

The Internet also allows students to seek online assistance with commercial law assignments (or assignments of other subjects) – thus, providing them with an all-around academic support spectrum inside and outside the classroom.

Information and Communication Technologies put students at risk for cyber aggression

A study published in the Journal of Mental Health in February 2018 made a startling revelation. ICTs can put students’ mental health and sense of wellbeing at risk. An internet-based survey conducted on university students found that private images and videos of as many as one-fourth of the respondents were shared without their permission. 28% student received angry, intimidating, vulgar or threatening messages.

The study also found that in 50% of cases, the perpetrators of cyber-aggression were friends of concerned students. In 20% cases, another student posed a threat to the victim and in 18% cases, intimate partners turned vile.

The Internet might be a hindrance to physical activity

A 2016 study on the ‘Internet Use and Leisure Time Physical Study of Adults’ in Israel indicated that adults who used the Internet are less likely to engage in strenuous physical activities, exercises to strengthen their muscles, and moderate physical exercises. 95% of the respondents used the Internet to look for information; about 40% used it for studying, and 34% played online games.

It is important to note that while Internet can help us learn better, improve our communication skills, and improve our academic performance, we must not let it dominate our lives. Internet addiction may negatively impact our physical and mental health. So, students should be aware of how to use the ‘power’ of their fingertips and employ it wisely.

Author Bio:

Kristy Murphy is the outreach manager at GoAssignmentHelp, A site dedicated to providing high quality assignments to students. She has more than 8 years of experience in writing. In her free time, she loves sharing travel experiences, so that it helps others when they travel.