Abstract:
This research paper aims to look at the social impact of the Internet on Gauteng high school learners. This study was conducted to establish the kinds of activities that learners performed on the Internet and the length of time they spent on the Internet in order to evaluate the social impact that these activities may have on them. Using a sample of 50 learners from two high schools in the Gauteng region, qualitative and quantitative data was collected through the use of questionnaires. The results suggest that there is both a positive and a negative social impact of the Internet on Gauteng high school learners. Learners engage in Internet chat rooms and reveal their personal information to people they meet online. Further, they arrange for face to face meetings with their online friends. This puts the learners at risk of getting hurt because they meet people whose intentions they do not know. The positive social impact of the Internet is that it creates an environment where learners seek information which is needed for educational purposes. The research concludes that parents, teachers and the government need to be aware of the social impact of the Internet so that where need be they can work together to come up with strategies that will minimize the exposure to harmful content on the Internet by the learners.
