Everything in moderation I say.
There is nothing wrong with a child using a PC if it is responsibly supervised, regulated to a few hours a week and other activities/hobbies are encouraged.
Anyway, computers are more healthy than TV! at least you are sitting up straight and its excercsing your brain.
I will allow my son (he's 3) to use a computer himself when he is old enough (mabe 5+) as in this day and age "techno-empathic**" skills are a MUST have. These days, to ban your child from using a computer is as bad an idea as not allowing them access to books and pens would have been 10+ years ago (and still is of course).
**What i try to mean by this (not sure if its a real term, but sounds good :), is your natural instinct as to how things work, eg, if my mother bought a new video or mobile phone, she would be using the manual for weeks. I myself yould instantly have a 'feel' for it and just use it, mabe slowly at first, but it would be instinctively logical to me, using the manuals rarely, if at all.
If Your son is only allowed to use a computer after age 18, would find himself very behind in modern general technical skills which could be a major dissadvantage in later life.
There is nothing wrong with a child using a PC if it is responsibly supervised, regulated to a few hours a week and other activities/hobbies are encouraged.
Anyway, computers are more healthy than TV! at least you are sitting up straight and its excercsing your brain.
I will allow my son (he's 3) to use a computer himself when he is old enough (mabe 5+) as in this day and age "techno-empathic**" skills are a MUST have. These days, to ban your child from using a computer is as bad an idea as not allowing them access to books and pens would have been 10+ years ago (and still is of course).
It's not hard because it's not hard.
And it won't be hard for anybody else who has a capacity to think for themselves without curling up in fear.
For you who KNOWS computers, a lot of the time its not fear exactly... its more a lack of machine empathy (and fear of the unknown is a common natural human emotion).**What i try to mean by this (not sure if its a real term, but sounds good :), is your natural instinct as to how things work, eg, if my mother bought a new video or mobile phone, she would be using the manual for weeks. I myself yould instantly have a 'feel' for it and just use it, mabe slowly at first, but it would be instinctively logical to me, using the manuals rarely, if at all.
If Your son is only allowed to use a computer after age 18, would find himself very behind in modern general technical skills which could be a major dissadvantage in later life.
What ever happend to playing good old outdoor games
An unfortunate pan(ic)-epidemic of "stranger danger" and police arresting hopscotcing kids for grafiti & disturbing the peace!