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"Tykes are getting techy even before they hit
preschool. Are computers a boon - or a bane - for
kids?
A decade ago, when the Internet was still the
domain of Silicon Valley computer geeks, the notion
of preschoolers logging on to a computer seemed
futuristic at best. Well, it's time to wake up and
smell the JavaScript: A new generation of
cyberkids can point and click almost as soon as
they learn to talk.
"Sixty-two percent of 2 to 7 year-olds now have
a computer in the home, according to a Kaiser
Family Foundation report. By 2005, some 62% of
children ages 2 to 12 are expected to be online, up
from 24% in 1999. Perhaps the most dramatic change
has been in the classroom. In preschools and
kindergartens across the country, computers now
occupy a place of honor next to play kitchens and
block areas. The increase in school computers -
which was a mission of Bill Clinton's presidency -
has been meteoric. According to the National Center
for Education Statistics, in 1994 only 35% of
schools had Internet access. By 1999, that figure
had risen to a whopping 95%.
"Not surprisingly, the software industry has
taken notice and a surge in computer games designed
for babies as young as 12 to 18 months is
happening.
"It's a trend that not all experts embrace,
though. Last September, the advocacy group Alliance
for Childhood released a damning report called
"Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at
Computers in Childhood," charging that computers
can threaten your children's health and their
intellectual and social development. The American
Academy of Pediatrics has released a paper in favor
of such restrictive measures as limiting children's
screen time and not allowing computers in their
bedrooms.
"Some experts argue that parents have turned
computers into fancy baby-sitters, much the way
they're done for years with TVs and VCRs. Use this
checklist to decide if you're being responsible
regarding the time your child spends online:
- You know and approve of the content your
child views on the Internet.
- You limit how much time your child is on the
computer so that it's only one part of a full,
balanced day.
- Your computer is located where you can
oversee what your child is doing.
- You monitor the suitability of your child's
software by asking yourself: Does my child
generally understand the concepts being
presented? Is my child able to discuss what
he or she is actually doing?
- You step in with other activities when your
child seems frustrated or restless at the
computer.
Sounds like a good checklist on your own
computer use.
Source: Learn more in the March,
2001 issue of Child.
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