In the early days of widespread access to the Internet, it was
common to hear the technology described as being like an
information superhighway. Compared to the digital landscape we find
ourselves in today – high-speed Internet, ubiquitous WiFi,
and seemingly endless Internet-based smartphone apps for every
conceivable purpose – the Internet of that time looks more
like an "information backwoods country road."
But one thing was certain, even very early on. Young people who
grew up in the Internet age would, for better or worse, have a
vastly different kind of childhood than any previous generation.
And, while this technology has helped young people connect with
each other and the global community in ways never imagined before,
it has also exposed them to damaging influences that can have a
profoundly negative impact on their impressionable, developing
brains.
