Report sparks useful debate on tech limits for kids

BY LARRY MAGID
Sunday October 1, 2000
Special to the Mercury News

A recent report from the Alliance for Childhood (www.allianceforchildhood.com) challenges the popular notion that computers are necessarily good for young children. The report, ``Fools Gold, A Critical Look at Computers and Childhood'' explores the dangers of placing computers in front of kids under 11 and calls for ``an immediate moratorium on the further introduction of computers in early childhood and elementary education, except for special cases of students with disabilities.''

Those are fighting words for many in Silicon Valley and elsewhere who are working hard to promote increased use of technology in classrooms and homes for children at virtually all age levels. It is certainly a threat to companies like Mattel Interactive and other software companies that make ``toddler-ware'' such as Arthur's Preschool, designed for 3-to-5-year-olds or, believe it or not, Maurice Sendak's Little Bear Toddler Discover Adventures aimed at toddlers as young as 18 months. What's next, prenatal software?

While I don't agree with all of the report's conclusions and recommendations, I do think it gives us something to think about. Few parents would give their kids pills that weren't thoroughly tested and are naturally nervous about toys that could possibly injure their kids. Are computers really as safe and effective as many people assume?

The authors of the report don't think so.

The report claims that computers ``pose serious health hazards to children,'' including the risk of ``repetitive stress injuries, eyestrain, obesity, social isolation, and, for some, long-term physical, emotional, or intellectual developmental damage.'' It also questions whether they are of as much educational value as some claim: ``Thirty years of research on educational technology,'' say the report's authors, ``has produced just one clear link between computers and children's learning. Drill-and-practice programs appear to improve scores modestly -- though not as much or as cheaply as one-on-one tutoring.''

The report also puts into question, the seeming national obsession to pour more and more money into technology for primary education, sometimes at the expense of books, teacher training or capital improvements. U.S. public schools, according to the report, have spent $27 billion on technology in the past five years with an estimated $7.8 billion expenditure for the current school year. Indeed, virtually all American schools are now wired. According to Quality Education Data (www.qeddata.com), 98 percent of all K-12 schools and 77 percent of all classrooms will have Internet access by the end of this year.

The report claims that the ``high-tech agenda pushes children to hurry up and become skilled little technicians'' which, it alleges, ``interrupts the creative process, the basic science, of childhood itself -- the playful generation of images from one's own imagination.''

My first reaction was to dismiss the report as yet another Luddite condemnation of technology. Yet, after reading it and thinking about it, I've come to the conclusion that even though I disagree with some of the report's recommendations, the author's concerns are nonetheless worthy of consideration.

The idea of instituting an immediate moratorium on the introduction of new technology for young kids strikes me as a bit of an overreaction. Let's face it, technology is here to stay, and it's constantly changing. Kids should have access to the latest and best technology, but I do think that parents and teachers need to put more thought into how kids are using computers both at home and at school.

I also see no harm in implementing the report's recommendation that the U.S. Surgeon General study the ``full extent of physical, emotional, and other developmental hazards computers pose to children.'' And while we're at it, let's take a look at the health implications of wireless devices, especially mobile phones on very young children.

The report's first recommendation is also hard to argue with. The group wants to see a greater emphasis on ``the essentials of a healthy childhood,'' including ``strong bonds with caring adults, time for spontaneous, creative play; a curriculum rich in music and the other arts.'' In other words, let kids be kids and let them experience hands-on nurturing that focuses on their personal development as well as their technological and academic skills.

Part of the problem may be parents' obsession with making sure their kids achieve. For some that manifests itself on the soccer field or the basketball courts. Others look to report cards and many here in Silicon Valley judge their own child's achievements on how well they've have mastered the PC. I'm certainly guilty of this myself as I think back at how proud I was that my son built his first Web page at age 9.

I'm not arguing that parents should keep their kids from using PCs, but parking a young child in front of a PC, even if they're using well-crafted software or visiting appropriate Web sites, is no substitute for the type of human interaction that all kids need. I would rather see classrooms with fewer students, even if it comes at the expense of fewer PCs. And the same applies to children at home. It's fine to let kids play with the family PC, but it's not OK to use it as an electronic babysitter or as a substitute for other activities.

I was one of those parents who took great pride in his children's mastery of computers at a young age. I was delighted when my son Will would crawl over to his ``puter'' (which was an old keyboard on the floor of his room) and bang away, just like daddy does. And I took great pride when my daughter, barely able to hold a pencil, learned to peck out her name on the keyboard while sitting on my lap.

I have no regrets about that (at least I was interacting with my kids) but I'm very grateful that my wife, Patti, had the sense to insist on limiting the amount of time our kids could spend at the PC. Thanks mainly to her, they had plenty of other activities including being read to every day, cuddling, listening to music, dancing, drawing, playing outside, riding their tricycles and -- when they were old enough -- participating in organized sports such as soccer and basketball. While they had Macs and PCs in their classrooms, they also had teachers who spent most of the day interacting with the children, introducing them to all sorts of other media including, imagine this, books, stories, poetry and even laughter. In other words, computers were part of their lives, but not their whole lives.

When it comes to young kids, technology is a bit like apple juice. In moderation it's good for kids. But too much can cause decay and spoil their appetite for all the other things in life.