Group Says Kids Should Play House Not Pokemon
Group Says Kids Should Play House Not Pokemon
April 17, 2001 -- These days there are ratings for movies and TV shows that let parents know which ones are OK, or not OK, for kids. Now many child advocates are calling for similar measures for computers and computer programs.
The Alliance for Childhood, a nonprofit group based in College Park, Md., favors a child's own reality or hands-on experiences over the simulated reality of computers and computer games. This is one of the reasons why they are calling for an "immediate moratorium" on the use of computers in early childhood and elementary education.
But it's not the only reason. According to the group, computers may pose serious health threats to children including eye strain, obesity (as computers encourage more sedentary behavior), social isolation because kids may chose to play with a mouse over a peer, not to mention the repetitive stress injuries that can develop from too much time at the keyboard.
"We are not against technology or computers, but we are suggesting that we have not taken the time as a culture to see what is developmentally appropriate," says Colleen Cordes, a co-author of the group's report entitled Fools Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood. The report was signed by more than 70 health advocates and professionals.
"There is growing concern and common sense asking why are we buying into the hype that so many high-tech companies are selling, telling us that children need high-tech products to learn. That's just not true," she tells WebMD. "Children learn first by doing things with their actual body. We think parents and schools are under a lot of pressure to supply kids with computers, but there is not a shred of evidence that any child will have any deficit from not having them."
What children are lacking, Cordes says, are the "low-tech imperatives of childhood such as strong bonds with caring adults, face-to-face normal conversations with people who know and love them and having a healthy relationship with the environment."
In other words, play house or gardener, not Pokemon or Tetris.
Group Says Kids Should Play House Not Pokemon
April 17, 2001 -- These days there are ratings for movies and TV shows that let parents know which ones are OK, or not OK, for kids. Now many child advocates are calling for similar measures for computers and computer programs.
The Alliance for Childhood, a nonprofit group based in College Park, Md., favors a child's own reality or hands-on experiences over the simulated reality of computers and computer games. This is one of the reasons why they are calling for an "immediate moratorium" on the use of computers in early childhood and elementary education.
But it's not the only reason. According to the group, computers may pose serious health threats to children including eye strain, obesity (as computers encourage more sedentary behavior), social isolation because kids may chose to play with a mouse over a peer, not to mention the repetitive stress injuries that can develop from too much time at the keyboard.
"We are not against technology or computers, but we are suggesting that we have not taken the time as a culture to see what is developmentally appropriate," says Colleen Cordes, a co-author of the group's report entitled Fools Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood. The report was signed by more than 70 health advocates and professionals.
"There is growing concern and common sense asking why are we buying into the hype that so many high-tech companies are selling, telling us that children need high-tech products to learn. That's just not true," she tells WebMD. "Children learn first by doing things with their actual body. We think parents and schools are under a lot of pressure to supply kids with computers, but there is not a shred of evidence that any child will have any deficit from not having them."
What children are lacking, Cordes says, are the "low-tech imperatives of childhood such as strong bonds with caring adults, face-to-face normal conversations with people who know and love them and having a healthy relationship with the environment."
In other words, play house or gardener, not Pokemon or Tetris.
Source...