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Should the Internet Be Regulated? Despite the prevalence of objectionable material on the Internet, this media form remains less regulated than TV and movies. Hyeja Lee from Korea, Ji-Soo Shin from Korea, and Paola Monsalve from Mexico write about this issue.
I think we are always required to give too much personal information on the Internet. The Internet must be the most complicated media because the inside of it is like mazes. Once I connect with the Internet, I can surf anywhere. I can shop, listen to music, watch movies, and check my bank account on the Internet. Sometimes I have to type my address, telephone number, job, e-mail, and credit card number. I always hesitate to give this information when I have to do it. I think we are always required to give too much personal information on the Internet, and sometimes I receive email, but don't know from whom. Our private information may no longer be private. Sometimes I hear about hackers. For example, I heard about a large telephone company that exposed its customers' information. The reason this happens is it's too difficult to make information secure on the Internet. Only five years have passed since the Internet was popularized, and it has been improving very quickly. I guess there are many criminals who are hiding on the Internet like they hide in a maze. With the Internet's quick evolution, we need more security and laws to prevent our private information from being exposed.
He can also use the Internet to go anywhere even if that site is for adults. We can use computers to find lots of information on-line. The Internet is a very useful system. For example, even though I'm in my hometown, I can easily get information about another part of the world like the government system of Texas. However, it has some negative aspects. Let's imagine that your child is good at using computers. He can also use the Internet to go anywhere even if that site is for adults. There are many adult sites about sex and violence. If your child desires to see them, he or she can find them easily. They aren't blocked, and this can be very harmful for your child. If young people are exposed to too much sex and violence, we should regulate this media. However, it is very difficult to solve this problem. We can't say it's the parents' responsibility because the Internet is new technology to them. Instead, it should first be restricted or regulated by the government. Then parents should try to learn about this system. This problem can be solved gradually. We have to consolidate our power and try to solve it together. Sometimes lots of information gives us some benefits, but sometimes it can destroy it.
TV programs and movies are regulated, but the Internet isn't. Nowadays, more and more people are likely to use the Internet. The problem is that children spend hours surfing the Net, sometimes searching for important things; but most of the time they just use it for entertainment. There they can find all kinds of sites that may include nudity, bad language, or violence—content that parents find objectionable and don't want their children to see. TV programs and movies are regulated, but the Internet isn't. I think it should also be regulated so that parents can control what their kids look for on the Internet. Otherwise, the restrictions placed on TV and movies would be useless. Children could watch on the Internet the same kind of things they are forbidden to see on TV and in the movies. The Internet should be regulated as are other forms of the mass media; each web page should be rated just as TV programs are rated. V-chips could even be installed on the Internet to block the pages that parents find inappropriate for their children.
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