The Internet is a great place. Anyone can be part of the wonders of the cyber world. By simply connecting to a network-connected computer, everyone can express their own cyber voice. From Facebook to memes to Hulu, the Internet offers endless possibilities for entertainment, social interaction, and information. But what effect does the Internet have on today's children? Growing up a child is a natural and beautiful part of life. Many aspects of the Internet can inhibit this subtle stage of life, such as social media or Internet addiction. Although the Internet offers beneficial effects, the way today's children use it has a negative impact on their physical and mental development. Using the Internet for long periods means less physical exercise for the user because time normally spent exercising is spent surfing the net. Additionally, excessive internet use affects a child's social communication skills because they spend less face-to-face time with people (ottom7). A child could be at risk of being threatened by a sex offender if he or she posts personal information on the Internet. Another negative impact that overuse of the Internet causes in children is the damage to long-term memory due to the availability of a large amount of information (Carr). Having a fact or other information can cause the brain to overload. Additionally, the convenience of information available on the Internet can cause children to become overly dependent on this type of handling, thereby losing this ability. In the United States, approximately two-thirds of eight-year-olds go online every day (Patrick, 2014). Eight-year-olds should play outside or, well, be kids, not waste time on the Internet! The argument...... middle of paper ......og.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/children-are-more-intelligent-or-more-socialized-thanks-to -Internet/>.Patrick, Josh. “Physical and Social Effects of Internet Use in Children.” LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, March 13, 2014. Web. April 25, 2014. .Pierce. "verdick.org." Negative effects of Internet use on child development. Np, and Web. April 25, 2014. Sawmy, Kaleyvani. "." THE IMPACT OF INTERNET USE ON CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS. Np, and Web. April 25, 2014. “Young children and computers: some advantages and disadvantages.” » What to expect /> . Np, and Web. April 25. 2014. .