Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage. A POWERFUL INFLUENCE There can be no doubt at all that the Internet has made a huge difference to our lives. Parents are worried that children spend too much time playing on the Internet, hardly (21) _ doing anything else in their spare time. Naturally, parents are curious to find out why the Internet is so attractive, and they want to know if it can be ...

Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

A POWERFUL INFLUENCE

There can be no doubt at all that the Internet has made a huge difference to our lives. Parents are worried that children spend too much time playing on the Internet, hardly (21) _ doing anything else in their spare time. Naturally, parents are curious to find out why the Internet is so attractive, and they want to know if it can be (22) for their children. Should parents be worried if their children are spending that much time watching their computers?

Obviously, if the children are bent over their computers for hours, (23) in some game, instead of doing their homework, then something is wrong. Parents and children could decide how much use the child should make of the Internet, and the child should give his or her promise that it won't interfere with homework. If the child is not (24) to this arrangement, parents can take more drastic steps. Dealing with a child's use of the Internet is not much different from negotiating any other sort of bargain about behavior.

Any parent who is seriously alarmed about a child's behavior should make an appointment to discuss the matter with a teacher. Spending time in front of the screen does not (25) affect a child's performance at school. Even if the child is absolutely crazy about using the Internet, he or she is probably just going through a phase, and in a few months there will be something else to worry about!