TimmyHYoung and Gadgeted - When should kids get techy?
June 30th 2008 06:24
Most stages in a child’s development are well documented. From walking to speech, puberty to adulthood, hundreds of texts have been devoted to human development. But at what age should children be introduced to various technologies?
While some parents are happy to introduce children to the Internet and Mobile technology, others are sceptical about it. What is the right approach? Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget defines some of the stages of human development in conjunction with technology.
From age 0 to 2
Technology in this phase has to respond to a child’s actions. Flashing lights and sounds are important for them with electronics. But more crucial to their development is physical interaction with their environment. Parents would be better off investing in a quality camera to document their child playing with real-world toys.
From age 3 to 5
In this stage, children mimic their parents and friends. They see technology but are generally still unable to use it. They emulate mobile phone and computer usage. They can take real pictures with a camera or access some interactive Internet material. TV’s can be made interactive when combined with video game consoles.
From age 6 to 11
This is traditionally the time when a kid learns to ride a bike. But nowadays it is associated with the ability to search the Web properly. They can go through YouTube and develop social networking. Because during this time children still have trouble with abstract ideas parents should be warned that electronic devices are no supplement for real experiences. A child’s use of media and technology should supplement, not replace their physical experiences. By age 10, some children can start editing and programming with free downloadable software like M.I.T’s Scratch which works like a big virtual jigsaw puzzle.
From age 12
At this stage, adolescents are developing the cognitive ability of adults. They are able to simultaneously juggle information from mobiles, MP3’s, laptops, radio and television. Communicating with friends is now one of their most important functions of a child’s mind. Mobiles are almost mandatory for children of this age. They can assist parents in reducing stress levels. But interestingly there have been recent studies which link mobiles to stress in children.
Giving kids a laptop before they head to university is a popular choice these days. It’s one of the most important pieces of equipment for them in later development. Possession of a laptop moves them into the virtual world and will mean that they spend more time socialising online than they do in person.
While some parents are happy to introduce children to the Internet and Mobile technology, others are sceptical about it. What is the right approach? Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget defines some of the stages of human development in conjunction with technology.
From age 0 to 2
Technology in this phase has to respond to a child’s actions. Flashing lights and sounds are important for them with electronics. But more crucial to their development is physical interaction with their environment. Parents would be better off investing in a quality camera to document their child playing with real-world toys.
From age 3 to 5
In this stage, children mimic their parents and friends. They see technology but are generally still unable to use it. They emulate mobile phone and computer usage. They can take real pictures with a camera or access some interactive Internet material. TV’s can be made interactive when combined with video game consoles.
From age 6 to 11
This is traditionally the time when a kid learns to ride a bike. But nowadays it is associated with the ability to search the Web properly. They can go through YouTube and develop social networking. Because during this time children still have trouble with abstract ideas parents should be warned that electronic devices are no supplement for real experiences. A child’s use of media and technology should supplement, not replace their physical experiences. By age 10, some children can start editing and programming with free downloadable software like M.I.T’s Scratch which works like a big virtual jigsaw puzzle.
From age 12
At this stage, adolescents are developing the cognitive ability of adults. They are able to simultaneously juggle information from mobiles, MP3’s, laptops, radio and television. Communicating with friends is now one of their most important functions of a child’s mind. Mobiles are almost mandatory for children of this age. They can assist parents in reducing stress levels. But interestingly there have been recent studies which link mobiles to stress in children.
Giving kids a laptop before they head to university is a popular choice these days. It’s one of the most important pieces of equipment for them in later development. Possession of a laptop moves them into the virtual world and will mean that they spend more time socialising online than they do in person.
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