Early computer literacy - benefit or curse?

How much can children profit from educational computer programs and learning software? Should they become computer literate as early as possible? The teacher may say “yes”, the developmental psychologist is likely to say “no”.  Kids learn quickly. Educational software can support children’s learning and offer variety in a fun learning context. It is also a very efficient way to learn as it does not require teacher or parent supervision. There are, however, consequences and side effects to be taken into consideration.

Kids learn quickly

It is amazing how quickly pre-school children can learn how to operate the computer, handle the mouse, open and close the programs and navigate between them. They learn this more intuitively and much quicker than adults. Soon they start to support us with tips and tricks, webdesign, and some organizations even start hiring adolescent consultants for their IT-issues, and most hackers are young. Since computer skills are so important and children learn them more easily than adults, it appears to be of great advantage to start playful computer training as early as possible.

Kids love games

Appropriate computer programs can also help in schools and for school: learn how to read and write with Dora, Winnie the Pooh, and many others invented for the purpose. Math problems and logical challenges are much more fun if done electronically. It almost feels like playing. For many mothers this is a way out of the problem to make their youngsters practice math and reading.

And that can be a problem: If young children, and this is especially true for boys, get to know the world of virtual games, they more often than not start to like it, they do more of it and they get used to spending their free time with the computer. They quickly learn that there are more fun games out there. They want more, and they are computer smart enough to get more. They do run a risk of becoming addicted. And some of them run a risk of becoming addicted to violent games. How to avoid this? Control contents and time on the computer, and do restrict the access to the internet according to the age of your child.

Social contacts

There are some more issues if computer times are too long. Doing games or studying, your child  spends time on the computer, instead of socializing with peers, dealing with conflicts, learning to listen, to debate, training verbal and nonverbal language, learning to stand up and speak its mind. If these skills are not developed, communication with peers and adults may become difficult, as humans don’t react like computer heroes. Human behavior is not predictable but can be rather challenging. The more a child chooses not to respond to this challenge and interact, and prefers to withdraw into the secure virtual world and loneliness it may at best develop into a computer nerd and loner. Social learning also means learning from models, from others and with others, trying behavior and receiving feedback. And even if there happens to be nobody around: there is nothing wrong with being bored and pondering the “what can I do” for while, until some creative idea comes to mind.

Another risk is falling prey to internet predators in the chat room.  One day our kids will start chatting in one or the other way. Before they do it is our task to prepare them and make sure they understand that the person they are chatting with may have a completely different identity than the one he shows in the chat.

Moving versus sitting

Computer work requires sitting on a chair instead of running around, playing, strengthening the body. Bones and muscles are still growing and need exercise in order to develop properly. Doing sports and moving around strengthens not only the body but also the self-confidence, and it is a natural means to let energy go.

Learning benefits

While we are sleeping our brains are further processing our experiences of the day and deepening them. This is part of a learning process: information and experience of the day that is stored in our short-term memory can become hardwired into the long-term memory at night. Strong experiences of the day thus intensify over night. This supports learning as school as math and reading insights get processed over night, and extra training on the computer can support this.

Children can become computer literate at an early age. They will get used to learn with the computer and how computer logic works. While they will benefit for school and life by learning useful skills and knowledge, they will also learn how to spend time alone, and that being alone can be fun and easy. They will learn to sit motionless. The computer and its characters serve as models and give feedback. Children may learn to react in a way which is appropriate for a computer than for a human being. They may learn communication which is lacking the human and emotional aspect.  And the idea of violence can become hard-wired if a child or adolescent is exposed to it too often.

Sensation and Perception

Very young children have not yet fully developed their visual, auditory and kinesthetic perception and the interplay between them. They can only develop spatial awareness if they hear sounds from where they really come from and see things around them. They will only get a realistic idea of shapes and objects if they touch them, feel them and use them. Virtual images are fake, because images and sounds are not real and don’t relate to each other. They don’t to the job. They teach a fake world to small children and get in the way of a healthy development of their senses. And while your child sleeps, parts of a fake world may be hardwired in its brain. This is a good reason not to expose the very young children to computer images and TV, they have enough to explore and discover in the real world.

Identity

As we are growing up we are increasingly searching for meaning, for identity, for opportunities out there. The more we grow up with the internet the more we run the risk of consulting it for every life situation. If we need an opinion or a feedback we post a question or request. If we have a question regarding our health we consult the virtual doctors and get frightened about the quantity of food items, personal care and household products can potentially cause cancer or other fatal illnesses. Conversely we may come to believe the impossible and buy packages that have no content. Desires can be fulfilled instantly, we don’t need to go out. We can do everything from home: research, work from home, study from home, be active in virtual networks, get virtual encouragement, setting up a virtual business, play virtual games, watch videos and read books on the screen. We can even adopt a virtual identity. We do appreciate this, because it makes our lives easier, and more manageable. We can do more jobs at the same time, connect to more people and accumulate more knowledge.

There is a risk to our real life identity, though as we become too involved with the virtual world and de-learn to connect with people in the real world. As we get older it becomes more and more difficult to escape loneliness and to re-enter into the real social world.

Computers, programs, the internet are all very useful tools, no more and no less. They can’t replace true experiences. Computer smartness cannot replace book smartness and the love for books and stories. And it cannot replace street smartness, how to find your way around in this world, how to deal with people, how to fail and get up to your feet again. Computers are handy and can even prove beneficial if used with the right balance for the right tasks and at the right age. Improper use, however, can lead to harm, especially for young children.

When to start?

There are no generally agreed upon rules on when children should start getting acquainted with a computer. My personal opinion is: not before preschool age. And then apply it with balance and with good judgment. There are too many real things to be learned and experienced out there. During elementary school it is not really necessary but increasingly popular and should be kept to a minimum in favor of doing sports, socializing and reading. In secondary school it is essential to start working with the computer and the internet. Use it with moderation and stay in control of misuse. Do not use the computer to replace social contacts, and do not use it as a “babysitter”.

Alternatives

Last but not least: there are other ways to support your child’s development and learning: going out playing, visit a museum or the zoo, gong on a hike, gardening to name but a few. Or let them play logical games, like Rush Hour, Hide&Seek or Camouflage, reading books, playing an instrument, all of which can also be done alone . These alternatives might require some more effort, but it is an investment which will pay off.