Mobile and Internet - impact on a student

Mobile and Internet

(Its effect on students and their studies)

(A)   Introduction

Mobile and Internet are the modern time technologies that affect the students and their studies in a big way.  No other single phenomenon has impacted the learning habits of the students to this extent. This impact is both beneficial and harmful, all depends upon the way students use it.

Technologies are neutral. How will they affect the society? Answer to this question is not decided by the technology itself but it is determined by the users of the technology. Technology only extends the power of expression. An angry person can harm the others and with weapons effect of harm will increase many folds.  But the same weapons in the hand of a responsible person can provide protection to poor, weaker and deprived section.

Thus, we should consider both, positive and negative, effects of mobiles and Internet in a student’s life before final conclusion.

Let’s focus on positive impact first.

(B)    Positive Effects

1.    Quality material

Internet is the reservoir of the knowledge. No other source can match it in this regard. Mobiles have increased the reach of internet. Now all the information is available at figure tips.

Students can easily access the material on any subject any time, be it literature, Science, Maths, Commerce, Physical education or yoga. A student can rely on this knowledge for their academic preparation as well as for competitive examinations. Material prepared by renowned teachers, authors and publishers are available in text, audio and video form. This makes the study more convenient.

2.  Efficient and Experienced teachers

These days, thanks to mobile and Internet, students need not rush after teachers from institute to institute. In traditional mortar and brick institutes time and space is a big obstacle. A master teacher cannot spare more than 8 to 10 hours a day. Students are compelled to study with inexperienced teachers. Many good students get frustrated with this arrangement.

Now mobile and Internet have broken this barrier Almost all good teachers are available on the Internet with their video and quality study material, some are free and some others at very nominal fees.

It has increased the reach of a teacher also. Video based social networking site like YouTube have given a big push to this trend. Many excellent teachers are available online these days.

Most of the platforms are interactive. Students can put their doubts and can raise their questions. This gives a positive boost to teaching learning experience in the student life.

3.    Cost Cutting

Study through Internet is always simple and cost effective. Most of the time knowledge providers earn money from ads and marketing and students get all the study material and lectures for free. It’s the beauty of mobile and internet that a poor student is empowered to acquire and use the best learning aid available globally.

Even a well to do student in a town of a developing country cannot go and study from efficient teacher in an advance country. But mobile and Internet make it possible. They has broken the time and space barriers. It’s the great achievement of the Internet.

4.    Boon for remote / interior area

In the rural and remote areas educational infrastructure is underdeveloped. The students in such areas are deprived of quality education. For them, mobile and Internet are the gateway to the knowledge, light and progress. Mobile can be the medium that connect them to the outer world where a bright and prosperous career is awaiting them.

5.    Escape route from plight and poverty

A poor student, in the small, congested, dark and filthy hut, when enters the virtual world which is full of space, light, freshness and knowledge, delinks himself of the shadow of poverty and catches hand of possibilities. This virtual world can become his real world with determination and belief.

6.    Familiarity with  the external world

Internet introduces a student to the world. He comes to know about the world education system. It sets a benchmark. He can judge his own position in the competitive market. With this added knowledge he is better equipped to readjust his learning goals that suit to the demand in future.

7.    Innovative ideas

Internet, especially on mobile, is a powerful medium in the hand of a student. He can acquire innovative ideas that are helpful for his studies, time management, planning, emotional balance and future goal setting. He can also communicate to the world through many interactive platforms. This exchange of ideas and knowledge will definitely boost his confidence. This increases his chances of success in life.

8.    Boundary less school

Internet serves as a school that sees no difference between rich and poor, intelligent and mediocre, upper caste and lower caste. It provides service to all without discrimination. It encourages free flow of ideas. It behaves like a good friend to whom you can disclose your secrets. It knows no boundaries and its wise users can have boundless growth in life.

Now, come to the negative impact of mobiles and internet in the student’s life.

(C)    Negative Effects

1.    Divert concentration from studies

It is generally seen that kids who are in the habit of spending hours on the mobile get distracted from their studies. Books, homework and assignments don’t attract them. On the mobile they hop from one site to another. They surf too much without absorbing anything. It will be very difficult for them to focus on thing, even for some time. It is the biggest harm caused by the mobile and the Internet.

2.    Time consuming

If a student fell in the habit of Net surfing, his valuable time and attention are lost in unproductive activities. A big chunk of his precious time is lost. He will not be able to even complete his school task, forget about the revision and self study. Such students are bound to lag behind and score poorly in examination.

3.    Mobile Games

Yet another time wasting habit is playing games on the mobiles. Video games are becoming more and more challenging and engaging. They are not only wasting the time of a student but also posing threat to their life. There are many games which require some dangerous tasks to be performed by the player. There are incidents of committing suicide or causing harm to others. Such games are playing with the emotions of young minds. Students are forced to live in a virtual world. They missed the valuable lessons of life that they would have learnt otherwise. Ill intentionally designed games make the students timid and emotionless rather brutal.

4.    Vulgar content

Internet is full of vulgar material, textual and visual both. It has deep impression on youngsters. This can push them to bad habits, even to the crime sometimes. It is a big challenge for the parents, authorities and the society at large to prevent the spreading of such content on the net.

5.    Violence

Much violence ridden material circulates on the net in the form of texts, cartoons, games and videos. Such content make our children insensitive to the feeling and the suffering of others. Vulgar and violent stuff deprive our students of the deeper contemplation. If they are exposed to such material for long, their tender mind will get distorted for all.

6.    Health

There are many health issues associated with the long sitting and consistent starring at the mobile screen. Radiation emitted by the screen is harmful to the eyes. Many students are facing the problem of poor vision at very young age. Headphones are also causing big harm to the hearing capacity of the children. Long sittings are disturbing the digestion. Students are so engaged in gaming and surfing that they forget to maintain proper posture and harm the spinal and others parts in many ways. Poor health leads to poor concentration and low scores.

7.    Information overload

It is yet another problem. Internet is full of information on everything that comes to our mind. Without proper guidance a student cannot choose the right and accurate material. Sometime reaching to and searching correct information is like finding a needle in the heap of straw. It is very tedious, time taking and frustrating task. Information overload do more harm than good.

(D)  Conclusion

From above discussion it is clear that mobile and Internet can make or mar a student’s life. Its effect will depend on the way a student uses these tools. But we cannot do away with these technologies all together. We must find a way out. Mobiles and Internet should be provided to the students with a word of caution. Government and Industry should device means to check the negative side of these technologies. Parents, teachers and schools should take precaution. Students should be made educated about the bad effects of mobiles. With all these precautions and cares, mobile and Internet should be used as a powerful learning and teaching aid.

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