Should toddlers and small children be exposed to computers and electronic toys?
A When asked by Santa what he wanted for Christmas, my two-year-old son answered, ‘A puter and a dinosaur!’ Interestingly, the dinosaur gets played with regularly, but the computer, while sparking initial interest, remains on the shelf. I once read that the most fun a child can have with a computer is to play with the box. These can become cars, fortresses, houses, trains or shops while a computer remains just that – a computer. While there is debate about the pros and cons of children’s use of computer games and electronic toys, increased technological access for children has become a reality. This generation was born into a technological age where televisions are controlled through remote controls and kindergarten children tote mobile phones. The question is not so much whether we should expose children to these activities, but how early we should be introducing technology to children and what to look for in a technological toy? There has been a surge in the number of software progra
