Computers and Kids
QUESTION: Masters, what can you recommend to parents who deal with children who spend so much time on computers: Facebook, gaming, etc.? Do we need to stop them because it is harmful for their health, or is it just a new communication tool? The same with cellular phones?
ANSWER: Earth children live in a vibrant world where it is easy to have friends and acquaintances all over the planet. Before the computer a child’s world was first defined by how far he could walk, then by how far his bicycle could take him, then by what his home’s television set could bring him, and now by his knowledge of the use of a computer. Children are able to compare notes on life-all over the planet-by moving their fingers around the keyboard.
Could you imagine what joy parents in the 1940s, who couldn’t get their child to stay in school and definitely not get them to do any reading for fun or informational purposes, would have seeing their child spending hours reading off a monitor? A computer is much more than a communications device-it is an educational tool. It allows a perspective to be developed about the future. It opens prospects never before imagined. “I could do that? Wow!”
The danger is when the computer becomes the child’s world, an excuse not to interact physically with others. Gaming is even helpful to develop reflexes, evaluative skills, and self confidence; just be sure those talents get carried outside on to the sports field or into group activities.
As a parent, just like monitoring the foods your children consume, you must be sure they have a balance of social skills. Some of these can readily come from computer or cell phone time. If you want to turn time spent on Facebook into actual face-to-face time, help your child plan outside activities, or a yard party, or a sporting event. Moderation is important.