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Kids spending more time online

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Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
I realize that kids are more tech savvy than their parents, but 2, 3, 4 year olds using the web ? Is this really a good idea for parents to start kids using the computer at such young ages ? Is that good for their development ?

Will this lead to more overweight kids with no people skills ?

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/...ec_techbit_kids_online

NEW YORK -

Young kids are getting online at a faster rate than their parents and older siblings.

A new study from Nielsen Online found that nearly 16 million U.S. children ages 2 to 11 were online in May. They made up about 9.5 percent of Internet users.

The youngest of the set ? 2, 3, and 4-year-olds ? probably aren't yet updating their Twitter accounts with 140-character messages, or posting quiz results to Facebook. Rather, they are sitting in a parent's lap in front of a computer, being exposed to the Internet that way, said Peter Grunwald, president of Grunwald Associates LLC, which specializes in researching kids and technology.

In the past five years, Nielsen said, the number of kids online has grown by 18 percent, compared with just a 10 percent growth among all Internet users. And this growth comes as the total number of U.S. kids under 14 is declining.

In all, the time children spend online grew 63 percent in the past five years, from nearly 7 hours in May 2004 to more than 11 hours online this past May.

Nielsen also found that boys spent 7 percent more time online than girls, but girls viewed 9 percent more Web pages than boys did in May 2009. Grunwald said kids are also beginning to produce their own content rather than use the Web as a passive viewer.
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As with everything, moderation is key. I have no problem with very young ones spending monitored and filtered time on the 'net. But, like TV, it shouldn't become an alternative to proper parenting/babysitting, books, playing outdoors, drawing, etc...
 
My youngest daughter isn't overweight, and at five she was well versed enough to tell me that we had to update a plug-in to run something on the PBS Kids site. Just because a kid is spending more time on the computer doesn't mean they don't go outside and play.
 
My 5 YO can turn on the computer and get to CartoonNetwork.com to see his Transformers Animated. I busted him sneaking downstairs when he woke up early and now he asks for permission before he is allowed out of his room for more than a piss.

For the most part he and my 3 YO much rather be outside anyway and I doubt either one breaks 150 lbs. before college.

 
Is this any surprise? More people have computers, more people have internet access, etc.

But it's important to teach kids that there are much better ways to spend your time; for instance, playing outside, socializing with friends, or playing beer pong.
 
Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
Is this any surprise? More people have computers, more people have internet access, etc.

But it's important to teach kids that there are much better ways to spend your time; for instance, playing outside, socializing with friends, or playing beer pong.
Click to expand...

The problem with that is that most tables are too high for them, so you either have to modify one or have them stand on a chair, which is just asking for trouble.
 
Silly statistic. Online time for a given demographic grew 60% over 5 years? Shocking. I'd bet it probably correlates somewhat with broadband penetration.

Anyway, 11 hours per month is less than a half hour per day. I don't see any problem with that.
 
Something similar probably happened when TVs became widespread. I'd imagine these same arguments were brought up, too. I think it'll become the norm and as long as these kids aren't seeing some of the hellish things that lie within the depths of the internet, it'll have minimal impact overall on a kids life.
 
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