| ng safe for Kids? | | | | computer screen. Expecting beginning writers to |
| Kids computing is like "electronically sugar-coated | | | | poke a letter key and then passively watch a |
| 'learning' that may spoil children's appetite for the | | | | letter appear on a screen can be hard on their |
| main course." Encouraging children to "learn" by | | | | eyes and an extra perceptual challenge, and thus |
| flitting about in a colorful multimedia world is a | | | | may actually hamper the process of learning to |
| recipe for a disorganized and undisciplined mind. | | | | write and read. Their muscular and nervous |
| Kids should be encouraged to blossom and flower | | | | system are in developing process too. It's not until |
| in a free atmosphere. Their development should | | | | about the age of 11 or 12 that their capacity to |
| be in their own capacities. Barry Sanders, | | | | balance and coordinate the movement and the |
| Professor at Pitzer college, US says "good | | | | focusing of both eyes together is fully mature. A |
| readers grow out of good recites and good | | | | pair of glasses may correct the immediate |
| speakers." Then, as a child matures, his success in | | | | problem. But myopia itself may be a risk factor |
| reading and writing nurtures his "innermost, | | | | for other visual problems. It can interfere with |
| intimate guide, the self." So any threat to language | | | | children's sports activities and enjoyment of |
| and literacy may limit children's "inner voice" - their | | | | nature, and even limit their choice of career |
| capacity to tell themselves stories and talks | | | | Lack of exercise and obesity |
| themselves through academic or other problems. | | | | Many health professionals believe childhood obesity |
| Those who place their faith in technology to solve | | | | has increased lately in large part because children |
| the problems of education should look more | | | | spend more time sitting in front of electronic |
| deeply into the needs of children. The renewal of | | | | media and less time actively playing, at home and |
| education requires personal attention to students | | | | school, and because they consume so many |
| from good teachers and active parents, strongly | | | | high-fat, high-sugar foods and junk stuff. Be it a |
| supported by their communities. It requires | | | | television or Video game or Computers, children |
| commitment to developmentally appropriate | | | | have found their way into modern technology |
| education and attention to the full range of | | | | with a bang. Children are prone to diabetes, a higly |
| children's real, low-tech needs -- physical, | | | | risk factor due to obesity and reports say may |
| emotional, social, and intellectual development. | | | | American children are on rise to diabetes. Lack of |
| So, Beware, Be Aware, Brainstorm to activate | | | | exercise is major problem as children are at loss |
| the mind cells before its too late!!! | | | | of time divulged into many activities. Classroom |
| Computers are reshaping children's lives, at home | | | | learning is soon getting bookish and mugged up |
| and at school, in profound and unexpected ways. | | | | lessons. |
| Common sense suggests that we consider the | | | | Isolated lives |
| potential harm, as well as the promised benefits, | | | | Many parents have become active with spending |
| of this change. To put it simply, childhood is our | | | | less hours of time together with the child than the |
| species' evolutionary edge. Childhood takes time. | | | | earlier years. With the recent surge in the |
| And many children are simply not being given the | | | | purchase of home computers, laptops, and home |
| time to be children. Computers are acute | | | | connections to the Internet, as well as school |
| symptoms of the rush end childhood. | | | | connections, children are likely to spend even less |
| Children need stronger personal bonds with caring | | | | time interacting face-to-face with parents, |
| adults. Yet powerful technologies are distracting | | | | teachers, and friends. Television and Personal |
| children and adults from each other. They need | | | | Computers are in every kid’s bedroom. |
| time for active, physical play; hands-on lessons of | | | | The latest fad is gifting of Personal Computer on |
| all subjects, especially arts and language. | | | | his birthday! Recent study estimates that children |
| Experience the nature. This is essential for healthy | | | | between the ages of 10 and 17 today will |
| child development to flourish in free atmosphere. | | | | experience nearly one-third fewer face-to-face |
| Yet many schools and parents opt for Computers | | | | encounters with other people throughout their |
| distracting the child reading and cutting the minimal | | | | lifetimes as a result of their increasingly electronic |
| offerings in developing areas to shift time and | | | | culture, at home, school or classes. Many kids |
| money to expensive, unproven technology! | | | | have started living isolated lives and disappear into |
| Researchers reveal Computers pose serious | | | | their rooms to spend most of their time with this |
| health hazards to children. The risks include | | | | wonder technology media. Socially, the kids are |
| repetitive stress injuries, eyestrain, obesity, social | | | | cutting themselves out and lack the little |
| isolation, and, for some, long-term damage to | | | | courtesies and emotional attachments. |
| physical, emotional, or intellectual development. Our | | | | Less self-motivation |
| children thrive to spend even more time staring at | | | | Many girls find Computers boring or creative |
| screens increase sight problems. The social and | | | | whereas boys plug on to playing more games. |
| educational need of the low-income children is at | | | | Young students often seem to be mesmerized |
| stake too. Quite obvious, the drive of | | | | by, and some even addicted to, the action on |
| Computerization emphasize only one of the | | | | their screens, rather than motivated to learn. A |
| human capacities - analytical and abstract thinking | | | | fascination with technology, Researchers caution, |
| of child develops late but it aims to jump start | | | | is not the same thing as a motivation to learn |
| prematurely! Computers are the most | | | | about educational subjects beyond the technology |
| sophisticated thinking tools ever designed. They | | | | itself. Some mesmerizing educational soft wares |
| were developed with adult bodies, as well as adult | | | | may be more entertaining that education. |
| mental capacities, in mind. Even for adults, their | | | | Stunt imagination |
| intensive use is related to job stress and serious | | | | Less creativity has crept into the classroom with |
| injuries. But emphasizing computers for children, | | | | replacing of computer skills. Creative work draws |
| whose growing bodies are generally more | | | | on a child's own inner resources - including |
| vulnerable to stress, presents several challenges | | | | originality, playfulness in generating ideas, and vigor |
| to healthy development. The current focus on | | | | and perseverance in carrying them out. Similarly, |
| computers can distract schools and families from | | | | imagination involves the capacity to bring to life |
| attending to children's true needs, and can | | | | pictures of one's own in one's own mind. Children |
| exacerbate existing problems. | | | | who are exposed to a heavy electronic diet of |
| The computer, like the TV, can be a mesmerizing | | | | television, the Internet, video games, and |
| babysitter. But many children, overwhelmed by | | | | multimedia are bombarded with ready-made |
| the volume of data and flashy special effects of | | | | images, often cleverly animated and quickly |
| the World Wide Web and much software, have | | | | swapped with a point and a click, literally leaving |
| trouble focusing on any one task. | | | | nothing to the imagination. Entertained constantly |
| Must five-year-olds be trained on computers | | | | and effortlessly, they are at loss of their |
| today to get the high-paying jobs of tomorrow? | | | | imagination and find harder to generate their own |
| For a relatively small number of children with | | | | images and ideas. Their limitation is up to the |
| certain disabilities, technology offers benefits. But | | | | visual effects on their minds of the television, |
| for the majority, computers pose health hazards | | | | video game or computer. |
| and potentially serious developmental problems. Of | | | | Impaired Language & literacy |
| particular concern is the growing incidence of | | | | The time spent with computers and other |
| disabling repetitive stress injuries among college | | | | electronic media may distract both children and |
| students who began using computers in childhood. | | | | adults from directly communicating with one |
| The National Science Board reported in 1998 that | | | | another, face to face, weaving together the rich |
| prolonged exposure to computing environments | | | | variety of spoken and unspoken cues such |
| may create "individuals incapable of dealing with | | | | interactions encourage. That, literacy experts |
| the messiness of reality, the needs of community | | | | warn, may place children at risk of language |
| building, and the demands of personal | | | | delays. In addition, too few chances for such |
| commitments." | | | | communication, if extended throughout childhood, |
| Physical health | | | | may permanently limit children's ability to express |
| Emphasizing the use of computers in childhood can | | | | them in speech or in writing, to comprehend fully |
| place children at increased risk for repetitive | | | | what they read, and even to understand. They |
| stress injuries, visual strain, obesity, and other | | | | are at loss to think logically and analytically. Before |
| unhealthy consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. | | | | their vocabulary is built, kids are spoon feed to |
| Some development experts also warn that | | | | computers. |
| increasing the time that children spend on | | | | Moral Behavior & Emotional competence |
| computers, given the hours they already sit in | | | | The most important gift that parents can give a |
| front of televisions and video games, may | | | | child to spur their mental development, is not a |
| contribute to developmental delays in children's | | | | good education, elaborate educational toys, or |
| ability to coordinate sensory impressions and | | | | summer camp, but time - regular, substantial |
| movement and to make sense of the results. | | | | chunks of it spent together doing things that are |
| That could in turn lead to language delays and | | | | naturally appealing to the child. Dr. Stanley I. |
| other learning problems. This health hazard | | | | Greenspan, the former director of the Clinical |
| demands immediate attention but its only a | | | | Infant Development Program at the National |
| concern as every person is in a ‘Computer rat | | | | Institute of Mental Health, warn that an emphasis |
| race!’ | | | | on computers in childhood exacerbates the |
| Muscular-skeletal injuries | | | | tendency for our increasingly rushed and |
| Long hours at a keyboard, constantly repeating a | | | | impersonal culture to harm the emotional |
| few fine hand movements, may overtax | | | | development of children. And that, they add, will |
| children's hands, wrists, arms, and neck. That, in | | | | take a toll on their intellectual, social, and moral |
| turn, may stress their developing muscles, bones, | | | | development as well, because emotions guide |
| tendons, and nerves. For the user, the computer | | | | human learning and behavior.Flooded |
| is a kind of straitjacket into which the body must | | | | commercialization ads on television, internet and |
| adapt itself. The eyes stare at an unvarying focal | | | | hoardings call for attention as kids are exposed to |
| length, drifting back and forth across the screen. | | | | not only games, child products but also drugs, |
| Fingers move rapidly across the keyboard or are | | | | pornography etc. Sites like mamamedia.com, and |
| poised, waiting to strike. The head sits atop the | | | | make available targeted banner campaigns and |
| spine balanced, in the words of one physician, like | | | | desktop wallpaper downloads that emotionally |
| a bowling ball. Built for motion humans do not | | | | effect the kids. They are children who are unable |
| respond well sitting nearly immobile for hours at a | | | | to cope with the slightest of frustrations, and lash |
| time. Children who play games on computers for | | | | out aggressively. They are entitled, demanding, |
| long hours, fight with the ctrl keys, jump with | | | | impatient, disrespectful of authority, often |
| space or run right-left or topsy-turvy through the | | | | disapproving of their peers, unempathetic and |
| arrow keys are sure to freeze with vision, pain in | | | | easily "wounded." Their numbers are increasing. |
| hands and more! There may be greater risk. | | | | We must take note of this disturbing trend and |
| That's because their bones, tendons, nerves, | | | | intervene with some urgency if we are to raise |
| muscles, joints, and soft tissues are still growing. | | | | children who will care about others in society. |
| Vision problems | | | | To sum up, these are our fundamental beliefs and |
| Computer is a strain on child’s eyes and | | | | concerns |
| developing visual system and actually makes | | | | * Childhood is a critical phase of life and must be |
| learning to read, a more complication. Eyestrain | | | | protected to be fully experienced. It should not be |
| experienced by computer operators is related to | | | | hurried |
| screen glare and to the screen being either too | | | | * Each child deserves respect as an individual. |
| bright or too dim compared to the ambient light. | | | | Each needs help in developing his or her own |
| Maintaining a constant focus on the same | | | | unique capacities and in finding ways to weave |
| distance, at the same angle, inhibits blinking even | | | | them into a healthy social fabric. |
| more than does reading from a book, probably | | | | * Children today are under tremendous stress |
| because the monitor presents a vertical reading | | | | and suffer increasingly from illnesses such as |
| surface and because our eyes are open wider, | | | | allergies, asthma, hyperactive disorders, obesity |
| making it more of an effort to blink Children or | | | | and depression. This stress must be trim down. |
| adult, all face visual fatigue from long spells on | | | | |