Shellie-Ann Anderson
GLENMUIR HIGH School student Shellie-Ann Anderson yesterday won an all-expenses-paid prize to attend this year's Childnet Academy conference in Montego Bay, St. James.
The prize is sponsored by Cable and Wireless Jamaica.
Shellie-Ann will spend one week with other young people from six other countries participating in the international Childnet Academy 2005 event. They will be learning more about "the exciting world of Internet communication and website development", according to Cable and Wireless.
The Glenmuir High student's essay emerged the winning entry from a competition in the Youthlink magazine published in The Gleaner on Tuesdays. Students were required to write an essay of between 175 and 225 words on 'Internet Use Opportunities and Risks'.
The following is the winning essay:
Internet Use Opportunities and Risks
In an attempt to speak above the growing chatter of keyboards across the planet, I endeavour to make it acknowledged that, like any task swimming, travelling, cooking risks are involved in using the Internet; however, there is more potential for good than bad, provided that one has the capacity to tell the difference.
A student who uses web services for research may be viewing pornography because of a pop-up in the midst of her study, or because of curiosity. She may also be the pen-pal seeker who was victimised by a paedophile, the music video downloader who cannot use her computer because of a virus, or even the innocent surfer who stole someone's credit card because she encountered an advertisement luring her to buy product X because she was overweight. It is evident, then, that on the Internet opportunities and risks go hand in hand, the more opportunities we find, the more risks we meet.
The Internet's impact on my generation is amazing! My peers and I may be classified as 'Technology's Children' we know no other way. Keeping us offline in order to avoid risks would be (like keeping us from school because we may be bullied) unwise. We should simply be given guidelines for Internet use that we may choose wisely and ensure that our online experiences are healthy, productive and safe.
Shellie Ann Anderson
May Pen, Clarendon
