Your Baby Got Mac?

Computers

from the get-'em-hooked-young dept

While some debate whether or not computers really are useful in educating kids, others are simply wondering how young is too young to give your kid a computer? It appears the “experts” (as they’re known to do) disagree. Some think you need to wait until they’re much older, and that too many parents are treating the computer as the TV of the next generation (i.e., a replacement babysitter). However, others say that kids can start learning from computers some time after they turn one (assuming there’s a parent at their side). As always, I’d assume the answer is somewhere in the mix of both viewpoints. If you’re just looking for the “babysitter” approach, then computers are probably going to do more harm than good. However, for parents willing to sit with their kids and learn with them, it’s probably a valuable learning aid. Of course, whether or not you give your kids a computer, Business Week says you should get them a PDA. They’ve got a list of new handheld computers targeted at kids.