by Jennifer M
(originally published in Currents October 2003, Children's Corner Column)

When should you introduce your child to the computer? Jane M. Healy, Ph.D. and educational psychologist, notes that children under 3 years of age have no business in front of a computer. Children this age need hands-on, three-dimensional, real time experiences that a computer cannot provide. What’s more, children this young do not understand who controls the computer and the images moving around on the screen. Healy, however, notes that children around the age of 7 or 8 are probably at the right developmental stage to be able to integrate computers into their lives, provided some guidelines are established and maintained.

Unrestrained use of computers by children has a number of negative side effects including: shortened attention span, reduced ability for analytical reasoning, inability to communicate verbally, reduced capacity to deal with complex problems and hyperactivity due to long periods of sitting idle in front of the computer screen. Recent studies of how brains function indicate that intelligence and learning are only partially related to a child’s genetic history. The environment surrounding the child as it grows leaves its mark on the development of neural connections which lay the foundation for later learning experiences. “Like a sculptor, the child’s experience prunes away unneeded – or unused – synapses, while strengthening those patterns of connections that are repeatedly used. (Healy, p. 2, www.newhorizons.org/future/Creating_the_Future/crfut_healy.html). This means that certain skills, such as thinking aloud, questioning, creative problem-solving and communication will vanish if children become too heavily dependent on computers to process data for them.

Admittedly, today’s learners will need new skills to survive in tomorrow’s future, but these skills must not be won at the expense of others. A future generation trained to be passive receivers of information will not be equipped to be constructive creators of knowledge and dynamic leadership. Before introducing the computer to your child, you should first analyze whether it is developmentally appropriate for your child and secondly, whether the activity will benefit the child or simply replace other more meaningful activities, such as reading, doing homework, engaging you in conversation, playing hands-on games, enjoying hobbies or just spending time relaxing.

You should work out a timetable with your child and stick to it. Experts recommend the following time limits for on-screen exposure (this includes television, computer, computer games, DVDs and videos).

• Preschool: one hour total screen time per day
• Elementary School: two hours total screen time per day

When working with your child at the computer, ask open-ended questions to encourage exploring alternatives. Work on projects that involve help from peers or siblings to encourage communication and cooperation. Offer suggestions or comments on accomplished work and display the results to show your interest and support. Have your child “teach” you something about computers to boost self-confidence and encourage verbal and analytical skills.

Most importantly, listen to your child. Try to provide some down-time from scheduled activities for your child to relax, to ponder, to reflect, to play freely and to enjoy life.

Sources:
www.netc.org
www.edpress.org
www.newhorizons.org

For more information, you can order two books by Jane M. Healy: Endangered Minds: Why our Children Don't Think and What We Can Do about It? and Failure to Connect. To order, click on the book cover: