Welcome to the world of cyberspace. with an estimated one billion people connected worldwide, the internet revolution has transformed the way the world communicates and does business.

The internet is no stranger to the "young and the restless" or the younger generation called the cyber generation. even students use it to replace the library as a primary source of news and research. Nothing gives so much pleasure to so many people in our society. for instance, a farmer in a remote village in India could be surfing the internet, check the rice of soybeans in America to determine the best time to sell his crop. in the same vein, a mother could find helpful materials for her child's home work: all through the internet.

Generally, the more powerful a tool is, the more dangerous it can be. A gas-powered chain saw can accomplish far more than a handsaw: yet it must be used carefully. The internet is likewise extremely powerful and useful, but we must exercise caution when using it, as it also poses serious dangers. Concern about these dangers has caused more than 50-member nations of the council of Europe to draft an international treaty aimed at the protection of society against cyber crime. Why all the concern? What are some of the dangers that are of particular concern to those with strong moral standard?

From time immemorial "wicked people" like bird catchers "set a ruinous trap" to catch men and "gain riches". Technology has provided modern day "wicked people" with deceptive traps of new dimensions and one of the schemes that can present grave dangers to the general public is internet pornography. Internet pornography as the name suggests, is a 10 billion dollar a year industry. The number of pornographic web pages has grown at the explosive rate of 2000 percent over the past seven years. It is estimated that there are currently over 300 million of such pages and the number continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.

Today, there is so much cybersex addiction and so much sexually suggestive images. This is because pornography has become so prevalent on the internet viewing anyone with a computer as a potential victim, peddlers of pornography employ a variety of tactics to appeal to the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes". Their intent is to entice or to "lure by a bait" unsuspecting internet users whom they try to seduce.

Like wicked people in the days of old, pornographers frequently employ deception. It is estimated that as part of an aggressive effort to attract new customers, some 10 billion pornographic e-mail are sent each day. The deluge of unsolicited e-mail has subject lines that make them appear harmless. Opening one however, can launch a barrage or immoral images that is difficult to stop.

A bird catcher carefully places seed along a path an unsuspecting bird pecks at one tasty seed after another until the trap is sprung. Similarly, curousity leads some to nibble at sexually stimulating imagery and the viewers hope that no one is wacthing them. Finding it arousing, some of those caught in the snare, return to the exciting and powerful imagery with increasing frequency. Eventually, such individuals may develop a 'dark side' whose core is anti-social; lust devoid of moral values.

The most unsavoury and distasteful angle of the whole saga is that internet chat rooms can be time-wasters and are increasingly associated with relationship breakdown. Expressing frustration over the amount of time his wife spends on-line, one man wrote" "when she gets in from work, the PC goes on and it can be five or more hours before she logs off" our marriage is suffering as a result.

Yes, time spent on the internet is time spent away from your spouse and family. but more damaging is the fact that the internet has become a gateway to other relationship. They can be very potent and break up existing relationship.

Says Dr. AI Cooper, editor of sex and the internet A guidebook for clinicians: "We are hearing from therapists,. around the world reporting on-line sexual activity to be a major cause of marital problems. so we need to warn people about the slippery slope that starts with on-line flirting and too often ends, in divorce."

In view of these sobering facts,it is wise to take sensible precautions when using the internet,So if you are still using the internet,be aware of the dangers and avoid flirting with trouble.