Internet vs. Horse and Buggy

How would you advise a colleague who says, "The Internet is unsafe and therefore, I will refer my students to only use traditional library reference materials"?

 According to the UN, 260,000 children aged 6-18 worldwide die per year from auto accidents.  363,000 children die per year from other accidents such as drowning, burn, fall, poisoning, etc.  (BBC News)  That's a staggering number of childhood accidental deaths.  Yet, no country has banned automobiles, swimming pools, or the playground out of fear that children would be hurt or killed.  We don't avoid using the necessary transportation or deny our children the pleasure of playing on the playground because of the possible dangers.  The  possibilities are always there, but we take precautions to minimize accidents, such as using car seats and supervising the children when they are playing in water.  We can also teach them skills to enjoy the water safely.  Sometimes however, parents try their best to protect their child and yet accidents still happen. 

Why would using the Internet or any technology be different?  The technology, and the Internet in particular, is a large and necessary presence in modern life, that it does not make sense to avoid it or deny access to it.  The Internet's advantage of offering resources that are current, relevant, and immediate cannot match the print materials found in the traditional library.  The Internet should not be the only source, and it is known for having some untrustworthy materials, but with some practice of safe searching and filtering, and safe online presence, the information one can glean from the Internet can be powerful and plentiful.  Unless the teacher wants to return to horse and buggy (wait, the horses cause accidents too!), I would encourage the teacher to include the Internet as a resource in teaching and learning.  There is abundance of materials (on the Internet -- where else?) on how to teach safe online behaviors, ethics, and web search.  Such education can precede any assignment that might send the students to the Internet.  Yes, we can continue to teach our children how to buckle up, how to swim, and how to not talk to strangers in real life and in cyberspace.

Perhaps  one is more likely to be run over by stepping out on the technology super-highway on a horseback.   :)