I must be feeling a bit crabby today since I seem to be violently disagreeing with statements on some of my favorite web sites. Where I generally take a First Amendment approach to most articles I read, today I felt compelled to comment on alarmist journalism at Blogher… a site I read, admire and support.
I then found the courage to go back and address an article in About.com Parenting that has been bugging me for 3 days. At the bottom of this page you can see a “Latest Parenting News” feed. A few days ago, this clip turned up.
Introducing Your Child to the Computer - November 04, 2007 - About.com: I've always been a bit of a computer geek. Me and computers go way back, so there really weren't any guidelines back then about when to introduce my son...
Since my DS is rapidly closing in on 6, I’ve been considering when I might introduce him to the computer and why. Last summer, after much begging and despite our ambivalent feelings my DH and I, allowed him to spend some time at a learning center on their computer. That has been the extent of his involvement with the computer to date. My feelings now are…that will remain the extent of his contact until he reaches third grade when it is introduced at his school as a research tool.
And so….I clicked over to About.com to find these words:
“One or two is a good time to introduce your child to a computer”? Why?
And did you say “There is no right or wrong time to introduce your child to the family computer”? Huh?
Hmmmm…obviously someone has not been keeping up with the
Many would argue that this is actually a fairly liberal approach. In crunchy circles, no screen time often is extended to 5 or 6. Waldorf schools recommend no screen time until 9. My philosophy has, to a large extent dovetailed with the AAP’s. We enforced no screen time until 2. Since then screen time has been severally limited and has not included commercial TV or computer time (except for the occasional out-of-home experience). So, I was somewhat appalled to find a well regarded parenting site announcing that “there is not right or wrong time”.
The right time to introduce a child to a computer is, in my mind is when a child is ready to use it to accomplish something, i.e. research, communicate or calculate. Nine or ten seems about right. Face it, really how hard is it to gain keyboard and mouse skills?
Call me crazy but when a site of this caliber directly contradicts the AAP, as well as what, in expert child development circles is considered common knowledge, I worry. As A “citizen journalist”, I take great care to check my sources and clearly indicate when I am expressing opinion vs. fact. I just wish everyone did the same.
Whoa…I must be in a bad mood….This is my opinion…contradictions and other thoughts welcome…please!
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17 comments:
*clapping wildly* You bring up an outstanding point in reminding parents to separate fact from opinion. As a peds/ob nurse and a fellow homeschooling mom, I can't agree with you more about the use of computers for research and purposeful events, not using the computer to melt brain cells.
I'm disgusted by the plethora of items marketed to introduce young children to the computer, and not the toys marketed to make the TV interact with youngsters. I appreciate the thoughts of a like-minded mother interested in making the best educated decisions for her family and not being afraid to tell the world!
Mary (Kodiak, Alaska)
*BRAVO!* Thank you for stepping up to the plate and hitting a homerun for our small but growing team!
Our kids (almost 6, 4, and 2) get ZERO computer time at home and a family movie night once per week--if anyone remembers: ))). Our days are filled with literature, music, the arts, lots and lots of dialogue, and the magic of silence. In other words, we are complete freaks to everyone around us. WHY?!
I have to reconcile that with the belief that most of us want to foster what is best for children. So why do we have such different views on the role of media in children's lives.
I know, I know, the marketing, the SCHOOLS, the self-perpetuating peer pressure, consumer culture, 'preoccupy my kid please' kind of attitude, etc. On this last point, I wonder if parents are involved enough to know that the Internet can promote complete passivity. When it first launched one really had to READ to get the information. Now that is hardly the case.
FYI for those who still might wonder the pros and cons of starting computer useage early, here's our success story: My son's first real (and only) exposure to a computer started in the Fall. His kinder class goes to computer lab once per week for 1/2 hour. He gets it--got it quickly, in fact. It's no mystery. However, he's reading on a 2nd grade level, makes many of his own toys, performs his original plays (at home), LOVES to play chess, loves to draw using "realism mixed with a hint of abstract," and can sit through a full production of the BBC's "Midsummer Night's Dream." My peers joke, "that's just him." Perhaps the interests are--although exposure is key to unleashing interests--but his attention span is undoubtedly due to low media.
Main Point: One can always put them in a crash course to learn ANYTHING later on, but unraveling the effects of early onset of fast-paced media can become impossible.
Thanks for your bravery notquitecrunch--without sites such as these, one could get very lonely out here; )
Recently I was very discouraged while sitting through a presentation on the new software system that my school district subscribed to. I am the HS Media Specialist (a.k.a. librarian and mother of a 6 month old girl) in our town. It gave me the sickening feeling that starting in kinder, kids are plopped in front of computers (a lot more than I realized!) to do what I thought, was the teacher's job- teach reading, writing, science, math, etc.! Coming from someone who loves technology for our ever-rapidly ability to communicate swiftly, research, and create- this information was very hard for me to swallow. As I struggle to plan for my daughter's future, it becomes clear to me how deliberate the steps you take need to be. These thoughts also permeate my thinking as we are on the eve of the largest gift-giving season...will my family respect our wishes?
I agree with "prism" that un-doing is harder than letting kids learn it later in life. I struggle with this because I am very anti-tv with my daughter, however, we use a webcam to stay in touch with both grandparents because we are spread throughout the country. This also is probably less than a half hour per week, but it makes me wonder. She already reaches for the screen when we are "talking" to busia!
I was teaching a course this weekend on integrating technology into the classroom and many of the participants were fascinated at the number of options for hyper-communication that we have today. They also were asking out loud why kids seek out virtual communitities and relationships online. To me the answer is obvious and as an adult, I also have benifitted from finding support and like-minded people out there. So, thanks for your blog and posts. I'm so happy I stumbled upon it!
Thanks for your comments.
ndecrette, it's interesting to get your perspective as you are on the front lines. In home, yes, my DS too is exposed to the computer ...as a tool that his parents use...emphasis on "tool". That's where I think my issue lies with all screen media..."play" should be something children do in the real world...not the virtual.
I have to say that this kind of thing is why I don't consume most mainstream parenting media anymore. Sometimes I'll read through a Parenting magazine, because they do have useful things occasionally, but for the most part these media outlets represent and sell a lifestyle I don't subscribe to at all.
So you're just The Not Quite Cranky Parent this week. So what. You're entitled. ; )
LOL Gift of Green...spit out my coffee on that one...maybe I'll start a new blog...The Not Quite Cranky Parent
My son just turned four years old. He can play video games better than me. He can play online games using the keyboard and the mouse. He is also very active playing sports and chasing me around. He has an amazing vocabulary and his ability to think things through and come up with solutions to problems is impeccable. He also has an amazing attention span. I suppose it all depends on what exactly you and your child do in regards to screened media. But my son and I do a lot of fun things together both on and off screen. I feel he is very advanced for his age because of that.
I'm the author of the original article you quoted. It's actually from About.com's Family Computing site. The reason I say there is no right or wrong time to introduce your child to the computer is because it's an individual choice and will depend on your family values and interests, as well as your child. As you can see from the comments on your blog, some people prefer to start early, and some people prefer to wait. Also, I didn't say that 1 or 2 is a good time to introduce computing skills. I said "if your child is interested and you are ready to take the plunge." I assumed that parents would not look to a stranger to decree an exact age, but would instead use the guide to think about their child's development when the right time arrived.
There are a lot of theories about computer use for children. Some people feel that no computer time is appropriate, while others believe that teaching responsible computer use early on can lead to better habits later in life. I fully respect the choice of some families to go technology free, and of others to fully integrate it into their life. That said, the computer does not "melt brain cells." Using a computer can actually stimulate brain activity, as well as help you expose your child to things they would not otherwise be able to experience. The key is in providing a guided experience for your children, regardless of their age. It's also important to balance media (if you include it at all) with all of the many other things. My goal on my site isn't to promote computer use for children, but to promote safe and healthy computer habits for families who want to integrate technology into their lives.
My just-turned-two-year old son has used the computer now and again. We also expose him to literature, music, physical activities, building blocks, craft projects and so on. I have desperately tried to keep the electronic toys to a minimum (oh, if only my family would listen). He has an extensive verbal skills, can recognize all the letters of the alphabet (along with several animals they represent) and can count to 15. He knows most of his basic colors and shapes. He has an excellent attention span. Some of his advanced skills are actually due to his computer use, but most of it is that he's an intelligent, nurtured child who is inquisitive, creative, patient and kind.
Anyway, I appreciate your comments. I will have to see if there is a way to make my message more clear...
Christy Matte,
Thank you so much for stopping by and posting such a considered and considerate response to my post. I always appreciate dialog.
Some of what I do on this blog is to try to raise awareness among parents of the deleterious effects of too much screen time. Though health and child development experts routinely deplore the amount of time children spend with screens the message has not trickled down to ordinary parents and...in fact is not "broadcast" by pediatricians...many feel, like you that it is an individual choice.
Many of us choose to differ with this view. (Hey, this is America, right :-)We try to educate parents and raise the flag on this "weird" decision of ours in the hopes that...like the growing awareness of the harm of too many pesticides/chemicals/additives/sugar in food...parents will soon see the harm in too much screen time.We should be so lucky as to have a movement as strong as the organic food movement...
:-)
Thanks again for stopping by. With your permission, I would be interested in continuing this discussion on your site. (I did not post a response to your article on YOUR site because I thought it would be unfair to "blindside" you with my views (I hate flame wars!)
Stop on by! I may have to work on an article about limiting screen time. That is certainly part of the bigger picture of family computing... I do believe it's up to parents to decide, but I also feel that they should make an informed decision.
I'm also a writer at About and a cyber friend of Christy's.
Due to your blog title, I was expecting a little more lax attitude about computer use. But I get it now- you're 'kinda' crunchy. . .
I have a 7 year old daughter who consistently sits at the computer and types stories for me to print and then she staples them or punches holes in them and ties them with yarn. She started using the computer at 2 with Pooh Bear and what not. In fact, her favorite software from that time SO long ago was kind of like a mad libs with tigger- where SHE filled in the story characters, actions, etc just by clicking on them.
So, point of my story, Thursday night we go to second grade conferences and the teacher compliments her up and down on her writing, her "voice" which just "shines through" in everything, and for her love of creating complete worlds through her writing.
Fighting words? Nope. There IS no right or wrong time. I don't doggedly follow the AAP reccs- hell they can't take a stand on half the crap the meet on. I don't see them as the be all and end all. Perhaps 'cause I have a pediatrician in the family that gives us the inside dirt, or perhaps because of their constant waffling, I don't know.
All I know is this girl, who was introduced before age 2, now has her OWN library of literature with her OWN name on it from her OWN computer.
"but his attention span is undoubtedly due to low media"
No, not "undoubtedly", as I said above, my children have had HIGH exposure to media. However, we have a subscription at the local University theatre and they both (age 3 and age 7) consistently sit through productions. They also consistently sit through chapter book night, looooon games of Monoply and the 3 year old gets through his sisters entire socer game.
So "undoubtedly" is undoubtedly a little strong.
Anonymous 1
First -Thanks for your comments. I really enjoy having discussion on my blog from varying viewpoints! I'd love to visit your blog/site if you can post the URL here.
You may right...I was not very accommodating in this post but...You were forewarned...not quite crunchy and cranky when I wrote this:-)
Anyway,I love that your daughter is using the computer as a tool for her writing!! It is much harder to write a story longhand. That's great. Do you think she would not be doing this if she had not been introduced to the computer at 2?
I found my DS, who I did mention took a class on the computer this summer at 5,picked up keyboarding and computer skills in a flash. And I, of course picked it up in my 20s and am a techno geek to some extent...or at least a heavy computer user.
My issue is more with children PLAYING on the computer at young ages - when pediatricians DO say that children need interactive play with real people - which is the point of their no screen time before 2.
Every child is different and depending on lifestyle/temperament/parental expectations introducing the computer at a young age may be more or less helpful or harmful. I wrote this post because I like About.com and feel that many, many parents who don't have access and time to find out various viewpoints use About.com for answers (actually I do in many areas and link to different posts). As a well regarded "expert site" I think you folks do have some responsibility to parents to write researched and nuanced posts.
OK- now I'm getting into what I personally feel about blogging and the mainstream media and what I try to do - fact check and present supported information.
I'm worried that the media, both blogs and mainstream media sites have become a vast "editorial section" filled with opinions and not facts. At one time journalists were held to a higher fact checking bar...now everywhere it seems opinion is just dandy...I feel I owe it to my readers to give my opinion and support it with facts...I don't always do this and my readers skewer me for it ...which I appreciate!
Let's all help each other to go beyond simple opinion to supported opinion.
Thanks again for stopping by!
Anonymous 2,
Thanks for stopping by. you make a good point about attention span. It does depend on the kid! Maybe my DS would be focused even if he was exposed to more media. I speak more to the point that teachers decry today...that kids in general have a lower attention span.
Ahh...those casual , self congratulatory comments get one every time...:-)
AMEN! We finally not only turned off the TV but hid it away. The next step would be to get rid of it. :) No screen time is amazing for little minds. Everyone should try it for a month or a week and like us may never go back.
I'm back again. I wonder about the little girl who spends hours on the computer writing stories. I wonder how her social skills are, and is she lonely?
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