people should use internet after the age 18

Why People Should Use the Internet after the Age of 18
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Institution
Introduction
The debate about the appropriate age that one must attain to qualify as an internet user has been eliciting mixed reactions over the years. The debate is attributable to the increasing number of young people who use Internet-enabled platforms such as Facebook, Twitter among others sites. To date a compromise has not been attained on whether the use of internet networking sites should start at the age of 18 among young individuals or not. This paper gives key reasons and arguments why the use of internet among teenagers should start after the age of 18 years.
Why people should use the internet after the age of 18
According to Harris (2015), the internet especially social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are key drivers of socio-economic activities globally in the current century. Despite the nobleness of the platforms, there are numerous negative effects they present that make it necessary for their usage to start when someone is at the age of 18.
The first reason why the internet usage should start after one has attained 18 years is its addictive nature. The internet platforms such as Facebook among others are so addictive that they hinder the productivity of individuals. In this regard, a person who is below 18 years would be in a great danger when exposed to the internet platforms especially when not controlled (Harris, 2015). Such people are believed to be school going children and teenagers.

They face the danger of dropping out of school, poor performance due to lack of concentration on schoolwork and career stagnation. The danger is eminent since they will be spending most of their time on the networking platforms. Therefore, the starting age should be 18 years after the individuals have completed schooling and are mature to control their access frequency to the sites.
Another reason why people should start using the internet after reaching 18 years is that it is the age of majority when one is considered mature enough to reason out and make wise decisions (Taggerty, 2015). Below the age of 18 it is believed that one is still young and is deficient in the ability to know the impact of their actions in the long run. At this age, they can post vulgar material innocently without the sense that such a material can lead to their arrest. They can also share information with wrong people, access immoral information and communicate with unknown individuals who may expose them to become victims of bullying, suspension from school or limit their chances of getting jobs (Taggerty, 2015).
The third reason why the use of the internet or social networking sites should start at 18 years and above is because they are prohibitive to holistic social development. They hinder individuals from engaging in sporting activities and participation in the real social interaction that is necessary for teenagers and young children to guarantee their holistic development. The red flag is based on the fact the exposure to the networking sites will deny them the opportunity to participate in recreational activities.
Rebuttal and counterargument
Despite the negative effects of the internet platforms, there are numerous advantages that the platforms expose users to regardless of age. The advantages make people think that the platforms are good for everyone even those blow the age of 18. The first advantage why they support it is that the internet provides games that entertain children and keep them busy, the platforms facilitate social interaction regardless of the distance, facilitate learning or knowledge of new things and share data.
Conclusion
It conclusion, social media or the internet is appropriate for our lives, but it presents serious challenges that require an immense level of maturity to deal with. This maturity is lacking on teenagers and young children given that they still lack the sense of the long-term effect of what they do. They can post some vulgar information or share information with unknown people that may impede their capability of securing jobs in future. Therefore, it is good when one starts using the social networking sites after attaining the age of the majority.
References
Harris, S. (2015). Too much internet use ‘can damage teenagers’ brains’. Retrieved from,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2015196/Too-internet-use-damage-teenagers-brains.html
Lewis, B. (2014). Raising children in a digital age: Enjoying the best, avoiding the worst.
Taggerty, J. (2015). Top 10 reasons why you should monitor your children’s internet use. Retrieved from,
http://www.identity-theft-scout.com/top-10-reasons-why-you-should-monitor-your-childrens-internet-use.html