Computer and Internet in Education free essay sample

The increasing amount of time children are spending on computers at home and school has raised questions about how the use of computer technology may make a difference in their lives—from helping with homework to causing depression to encouraging violent behavior. This article provides an overview of the limited research on the effects of home computer use on children’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Initial research suggests, for example, that access to computers increases the total amount of time children spend in front of a television or computer screen at the expense of other activities, thereby putting them at risk for obesity. At the same time, cognitive research suggests that playing computer games can be an important building block to computer literacy because it enhances children’s ability to read and visualize images in three-dimensional space and track multiple images simultaneously. The limited evidence available also indicates that home computer use is linked to slightly better academic performance. The research findings are more mixed, however, regarding the effects on children’s social development. Although little evidence indicates that the moderate use of computers to play games has a negative impact on children’s friendships and family relationships, recent survey data show that increased use of the Internet may be linked to increases in loneliness and depression. Of most concern are the findings that playing violent computer games may increase aggressiveness and desensitize a child to suffering, and that the use of computers may blur a child’s ability to distinguish real life from simulation. The authors conclude that more systematic research is needed in these areas to help parents and policymakers maximize the positive effects and to minimize the negative effects of home computers in children’s lives. The time is ripe to assess the impact of home computer use on child and adolescent development. Most American children now have access to home computers and are using them for everything from playing games to doing schoolwork to chatting with friends via e-mail to surfing the Web. In 1999, an estimated 67% of households with children had a computer game system such as Sega or Nintendo,1 60% had home computers, and 37% had home access to the Internet—more than twice the percentage with access in 1996. 2 Although children still spend more time watching television than using computers, when a nationally representative sample of children ages 8 to 18 were asked which medium they would choose to bring with them to a desert isle, more chose a computer with Internet access than any other medium, including television. With the increased role of home computers in children’s lives has come increased concern about how children may be affected. Time spent on home computers may displace other activities that have more developmental value, and the merit of the computer-based activities has also been questioned. Surveys of parents suggest that they buy home computers and subscribe to Internet access to provide educational opportunities for their children and to prepare them for the â€Å"information age. †4 Although they are ncreasingly concerned about the influence of the Web on their children and are disappointed with some of the online activities their children engage in—such as games and browsing the Internet to download lyrics of popular songs and pictures of rock stars—parents generally view computers favorably, and even consider children without home computers to be at a disadvantage. 5 Although research on the effects of children’s use of home computers is still sketchy and ambiguous, some initial indications of positive and negative effects are beginning to emerge. This article begins by describing the increasing amount of time children are spending on home computers and the impact of computer use on other activities. This discussion is followed by a survey of the available research about the effects of home computer use on children’s activities and development in four broad areas: (1) physical well-being, (2) cognitive and academic skill development, (3) social development and relationships, and (4) perceptions of reality. The article concludes with a summary of the issues requiring further study to better understand what can be done to ensure that children’s use of home computers has a positive impact on their lives. Displacement of Other Activities When children use home computers instead of watching television, it is generally viewed as positive; but when children use computers instead of participating in sports and social activities, it raises concerns about the possible effects on their physical and psychological well-being. Results from a national survey suggest that in 1999, children between ages 2 and 17 were spending approximately 1 hour 37 minutes per day using the computer and/or playing video games,1 about 24 minutes more than in 1998. 6 Yet little research exists on how children’s growing use of computers may be displacing activities other than television viewing, and the few findings that exist are ambiguous. Some evidence indicates that children who use home computers may watch less television than nonusers, but other evidence suggests that television viewhttp://www. utureofchildren. org The Impact of Home Computer Use on Children’s Activities and Development ing remains the same or might even increase with the use of home computers. For instance, parents reported in a 1998 national survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center that children in households without computers watched television an average of 36 minutes longer each day than children in homes with computers (2 hours 54 minutes versus 2 hours 18 minutes, on average). Children in homes with computers also spent less time watching videotapes and more time doing schoolwork and reading magazines or newspapers, compared with children in homes without computers. Even after controlling for families’ income and education levels, computer ownership had a significant, albeit weaker, effect—that is, in homes with computers, children spent less time watching television compared with children in families with similar income and education but without home computers. Interestingly, having a home computer did not affect the time spent reading books or playing video games on noncomputer platforms. Other studies, such as a 1999 study by Nielsen Media Research, suggest that computer use does little to reduce television viewing. The data gathered by Nielsen showed almost no change in household television viewing after households gained Internet access. 8 Indeed, many Americans report that they prefer to use computers and watch television simultaneously. A 1999 study of 10,000 U. S. households by Media Metrix, an Internet and digital media research firm, found that among households with a home computer, 49% used their computers and watched television at the same time. Still others suggest that, because of the growing trend to link the content of various media—as exemplified by the â€Å"tie-ins† between children’s television shows, computer games, and Web sites—computer use may not displace television, but may instead lead to an increase in television viewing. 10 (See the article by Montgomery in this journal issue for further discussion of the links between television and the Internet. ) Furthermore, it appears that greater access to home computers may actually be increasing children’s total â€Å"screen time,† that is, time spent using a computer, playing video games, and watching television comhttp://www. utureofchildren. org bined. For example, parents reported in a 1999 survey that children between ages 2 and 17 with access to home computers and video games spent an average of 4 hours 48 minutes per day in front of a television screen or computer monitor. In contrast, parents reported that children without computers or video games spent an average of 3 hours 40 minutes per day in front of a screen, more than an hour less. 1 Another national survey of children ages 2 to 18 found that total reported screen time averaged 4 hours 19 minutes per day, excluding use of the computer for schoolwork. Reported screen time varied greatly by age, however, ranging from 2 to 3 hours per day for ages 2 to 7, to nearly 6 hours per day for 125 Parents reported in a 1999 survey that children with computer access spent an average of 4 hours 48 minutes per day in front of a television screen or computer monitor. ages 8 to 13 (see Figure 1). 11 As the combined amount of time children spend across these various media increases, the likelihood of displacing time spent on organized sports and other social activities also increases, thus exacerbating the impact on children’s physical and social well-being. Effects on Physical Well-Being Systematic research on the physical effects of children’s computer use is lacking thus far, but insights can be gained from several sources. Results from the numerous studies on the physical effects of watching television are informative, given the similarities between these media. In addition, research focusing on the physical risks of playing computer games is important, given that games remain the most frequent home computer activity for children across most age groups, despite the proliferation of other software and applications. See the article by Becker in this journal issue for further details on the demographics of different types of computer use. ) These studies suggest that children’s extended computer use may be linked to an increased risk of obesity, seizures, and hand injuries.