I am sure that the fathers of the Internet, who worked their socks off to bring something truly out of this world into this world, would shake their heads if they heard that college students’ biggest dilemma with their life-changing invention is how they can reach the next level of candy crush.

Maybe they are not too surprised that the search tool was being used for what parents may term “the wrong reasons.”

In Ho Chi Minh City students are claiming that the reason they are struggling in class and not working or studying hard enough is because they are hooked on the net.

According to a recent study by a Ho Chi Minh City university lecturer, the top students in colleges or universities spend less than four hours a day browsing online, while those not pulling their weight are addicted to online games, messing around, chatting with friends and watching YouTube.

No doubt the former are using the vast database of knowledge and help as they aim to make a difference for themselves and their family. As for the latter? Well as my old rector used to say “don’t be leaving school and say “if only.” His lesson I suppose was that students should work as hard as they can without regrets.

The figures speak for themselves with students doing badly spending around 32 hours a week surfing, while the bright students with excellent study records only on around 17.6 hours on average – almost half. And males are more likely to be online than females.

So instead of admitting their guilt, the weary-eyed net addicts complain they are too tired to study, perform poorly, fall out with their friends and even skip lessons. A number even claimed they had sex with prostitutes because of that evil Internet. Really? Poor them. That big bad Internet has a lot to answer for, doesn’t it?

Now you cannot force knowledge and education on anyone but these young tikes do not know how lucky they are.

Old fogies like me think back to their school days as just that – school. Pens and paper, maybe a fancy new invention called a calculator at our disposal. That was it.

Nowadays it is smartphones, iPads and whatnot, checking emails constantly. Okay adults, who actually have to work for a living, may also be guilty of having new gadgets and email checking obsession but work is work.

So your average student gets home from school. Their parents tell them to get their homework or study done. They go upstairs, log on chat to their friends they left half an hour ago. So much has happened since then you cannot imagine. They get bored, play an online game, listen to music or watch a movie. By the time they think of studying it is time to go to sleep. Do they have time to eat? I hope so.

According to the study from a psychologist, she insists on some strange behaviors of students, I think younger ones, with some drawing scary pictures of online game characters and ones with big, red eyes when asked to draw themselves.

She blames this on parental neglect. It is always the parents getting the rough end of it, isn’t it?

However, the study findings might be on the right track. There are only one or two people who can control how many hours of surfing that kids can have daily. If they are online in class, it is the teachers who would get the rap, so at home the parents need to be more vigilant.

To throw the kids a bone here, you have to admit no matter how much restriction you put on kids, they are still kids. They do not want to study. They want to have fun, and with the whole World Wide Web out there waiting for them, it must be tough for them to switch off and get the books out.

Haha I’ve got it. Maybe that should be the plan for parents. Just switch the computer off and stick it in the cupboard. I am sure written homework or essays are still accepted in this day and age. Sit with your kid(s) and watch what they are doing, help them to find study aids or actually take more of an interest in their studying online or offline.

Taking away their beloved laptop might even shock them into action. Worth a try I suppose.

When I was growing up it was not what you should not be looking at online, it was what you should not be watching on TV. Some things change…

Love it or loathe it, the Internet is a huge resource that, when properly utilized, can help a hard-working student strive to greatness. But with that, there are distractions and temptations, and no easy solution to the problem.

Good luck with that, people.