The Advantages of Computers for Children

It is hard to find a household or a business that does not have at least one computer. Computers are in the schools, at friends' houses, at the library, almost everywhere your child goes. He will be exposed to them and will spend a lot of time using them. This can be a positive thing, as long as the time is scheduled and the activities are monitored.

  1. Creativity

    • It is amazing what you can create on computers, and that applies to children as well as adults. Children can use their imaginations and make a multitude of creations on the computer. You can download a program that allows them to create their own cartoon characters. They can write a short story and illustrate it, with the illustrations appearing more realistic than anything they could've drawn. On social networking sites, they can even create their own virtual farm that involves plowing land, planting, growing and harvesting virtual crops, and raising livestock.

    Cultural Understanding

    • Most of the people in the world are connected with one another through the Internet. Today's children have the opportunity to learn more readily about different cultures than children did in the past. If your child comes home from school and has an assignment to write a report on Japan, she can go on the Internet and start speaking to someone who is native to Japan. This will give your child a more thorough understanding of the culture than what could be gained through a book alone. Through her interaction with people from different parts of the world, your child has the opportunity to develop an interest in other cultures and an acceptance of them.

    Toddler Development

    • Toddlers who have supervised computer access show greater developmental gains in intellect, abstract thinking, dexterity and memory capacity. However, it is important that the toddler be at least 3 years of age before being granted supervised computer access. Children younger than 3 still have to develop a longer attention span and better hand-eye coordination.

    General Learning

    • Children want to learn, and their young minds are hungry for new information. The Internet provides a plethora of information at your child's fingertips. As long as the Internet use is supervised, this can be a positive thing. Your child learn about a multitude of things -- animals, weather, history, countries, people. Some software products can even help teach your child how to read.

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