Protect children from premature internet use
Governments around the world are discussing social media bans for children under 14 or 16. Many readers and members of the Philippine government have surely considered this issue as well. My opinion is clear: yes, I am in favor of a ban. The internet poses dangers that children, in their naivety, cannot yet comprehend.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence hinders the development of independent and creative thinking. It therefore contributes to the lack of independence and provides a shortcut for learning and imagining. I still had to do a lot of manual work when reading and looking up chapters in books.
No one is considered a genius if they can memorize something well, no, they are if they discover or invent something new that is scientifically recognized and has to be memorized by others. Numerous examples of this include William James Sidis, Albert Einstein, Karl Marx, Stephen Hawking, Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, William Shakespeare, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, Marie Curie, to name just a few.
But these are powerful examples from real life. If these individuals listed here had grown up with AI, how much would their own thinking have been influenced if they had relied solely on AI and not also on their imagination, creativity, and curiosity?
Einstein understood this early on when he philosophized about the use of computers: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” He thus made it clear that, unlike IQ, imagination knows no bounds.
Therefore, we should protect our children and young people from premature internet use for their own protection, as children often cannot assess the dangers. An age restriction thus fulfills important requirements for protecting mental health, preventing abuse and cyber grooming, and safeguarding biological development. Hopefully, the first serious steps on this issue will soon be taken in the Philippines as well. Politicians need to take action here.
Jürgen Schöfer,
Biopreparat.Schoefer@gmail.com
