Research paper summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary - Research Paper Example This is largely due to the fact that adults and experts alike have dominated the portrayal of this message labeling teenagers and their behavior as either good or bad without paying any attention to their point of view. With growing technology and increasing economy, internet usage is becoming an integral and common part of any society with both adults and teenagers going online. Two surveys conducted in 1997and 2001 by the U.S. and Canada respectively, concluded that adults actually spend more time on the internet than teenagers. This was confirmed by China Internet Network Information Center who conducted their own survey and revealed that 66.3% of internet users were between the ages of 20-35 where as teenagers only made up 17.2% (Zhiyong 2007). However society feels that it is easier to blame the teenagers and their internet addiction for the prevailing problems of drugs, sex etc. Instead of hearing their voices and acknowledging that the problem of addiction exists in both adults and teenagers, experts mold the public opinion against the youth often leading to their low self esteem and confidence. Dick Hebdige summed this up very nicely when he stated "In our society, youth is present only whe n its presence is a problem, or is regarded as a problem† (Zhiyong 2007). It is easy to label the teenagers as bad and ignore why they get hooked on the internet in the first place. Internet offers adolescents an escape from their every day stressful lives and allows them to interact freely with others, play games, and read information online complete with privacy and increased comfort. This freedom from pressure and even parents for a little while is misunderstood as being lazy and displaying improper behavior by the adults. This often leads adults to feel that the teenagers are undermining their authority. For, internet isn’t something reserved