Internet and its Impact on Adolescent Girls

Internet has evolved as a major mass media in today's world. Using internet to communicate with others is an increasingly popular activity especially among the adolescents and the youth. In today's times the impact and effect is not only limited to the bigger cities but even small cities, towns and rural areas are in the garb of internet for both its advantages and disadvantages. Today there are more than 1.5 billion internet users in the world and it has become an integral part of our society. It has spawned a revolution not only in commerce but also in interpersonal behaviors. This technology is changing the way people are socializing, studying, working, shopping, searching new jobs and spending their leisure time. The rural and urban communities differ in many respects including the accessibility and use of the internet. In Urban adolescents internet usage is more as compared to semi urban and rural areas. The less exposed adolescents of semi urban areas with their rustic curiosity may explore and experiment the possibilities of the internet when they are exposed to such modern technology for the first time and in a different manner. This paper seeks to understand the knowledge, awareness and impact of the internet among the adolescent (girls) of a semi urban areas who don't have much exposure of outside world, except of their own communities. The rationale behind this is to understand how the usage of internet has changed their outlook towards life, their beliefs n knowledge related to various dimensions and aspects of life of the young girls in small towns.