Internet addiction may be more of a problem. So far, though, effects are considered psychological, not physical. Further, Internet addicts tend to play games or get hooked on chat or sexual sites, not on online libraries or educational CD-ROMs, says Young. It is not likely that educational media will be a gateway to addictive behavior. New media have other benefits as well.
Students also can move beyond any one teacher's personal information bank.
And new media may enhance collaborative projects for many students. That's because you've removed the social context that some people find inhibiting. For those who lament the potential loss of the printed word, new media actually give students greater access to the written records of our society. The Internet is much more a threat to broadcast media, because they both can reach millions of people at the same time. In addition, children with language learning disabilities can benefit enormously from computerized instruction.