A survey is conducted annually in Sweden called "Young Swedes and the Internet". This survey has shown that from 2000 to 2009 internet use has crept down the age groups. The debut age has fallen from 13 to four. The survey shows that socioeconomic backgrounds and gender are key factors in how early and in what manner most children are learning to use the internet.
Four years old! I did not even know what the internet was when I was four. I know that our society has become extremely technologically advanced and that, yes, these new technologies are obviously going to be used by kids younger and younger, but four years old! That just seems crazy! What are kids doing on the internet at four?
I have two little sisters and both are elementary school age. They both know how to use the internet and use it quite regularly. They use it to both play games and get homework done. I can understand school age children using the internet, no problem, but toddlers? Early Education educators stress the importance of play when talking about toddlers. It is fundamentally important in a child's development. I am not going to go into all of the details about why play is so important, but I am pretty sure that "playing" on the internet does not count.
This news really makes me worry about the integrity of parenting styles and of the parents themselves. Just like you cannot rely on television to teach your kids, you cannot rely on the internet either! The internet is not censored and people can write/post pretty much whatever they want. The internet is also not the safest place to be, especially for little kids. While I strongly believe that the internet can be a useful tool in educating, this article made me wonder--what are toddlers really learning?
To learn more: http://www.thelocal.se/26750/20100520/
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