The Influence of the Internet on Thai Youth

Duangjai Sirasoontorn

The Internet was developed about four decades ago. It has not only brought about advances in communication technology, but also become a major source of knowledge and information. The influence of the Internet significantly affects and changes peoples’ lives. Nowadays, the world has become smaller and evoved into an ‘Internet era’ or ‘Cyberspace’ era’. Because of the importance of the Internet, in 1997, the Thai government incorporated it into as one part of the National Economic and Social Development. Even though most people realize that they can get advantages from accessing the Internet, it can also harm them by its negative influence.

One cannot deny that the Internet is a beneficial tool to open the world. In the past, if students wanted to complete their assignments, they would spend many hours in libraries searching for information, which was not enough for ever the best papers. Owners of small businesses could not distribute their products to customers in other areas or countries since customers might not know about them and how to purchase them. However, everything has changed; students can search for information via the Internet. They can spend less time but be more efficient. Customers have more choices to find goods while owners can increase their sales by selling their products via the Internet. The Internet has become the most proficient intermediary. In Thailand, 6 million youth spend on average 3.8 hours per day on the Internet.

It might be beneficial for users if they utilize the Internet in the right way with close supervision of their parents or teachers. Since many web pages of the Internet are entertainment websites, such as games, movies or songs, Thai students access it for entertainment purposes. On October 14, 2007, Mr. Shinaprath Poomrat, the Secretary of the Ministry of Education of Thailand, said that Thai students play games online 86% more than Russian, Philippine, and Ukraine students. Moreover, more than 40% use the Internet for listening to songs and watching movies Surprisingly, they access the Internet for educational purpose only 14%. If they tend to have wrong behavior like this, the Internet will be the unsafe tool for them.

Moreover, Thai youth tend to be ‘Webaholic’, which was the term used by a psychologist named Kimberly S. Young. He studied the behavior of a group of people who usually use the Internet and found that they became ‘Webaholics’. Their symptoms were similar to people who were addicted to gambling. They became engrossed in the Internet and lost self control. They would extend time using the Internet and would feel annoyed when they were prohibited from using it.

Accessing to the Internet can not guarantee that Thai youth will benefit from a lot of information. Entertainment may weaken the ability of students to learn. If the problem of using the Internet becomes worse, the Thai government, with parents’ cooperation, should take it as a national priority.