Do you think a 3-year-old boy could use the Internet before he learns to ask a simple question? What if a 4-year-old girl could operate a computer before she learns to tie her shoe? A new report by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and Sesame Workshop may support these very ideas.
According to the report that gathered data from several studies, 80% of U.S. children 5-years-old and younger are using the Internet at least once a week. Television still remains the medium of choice, however, with TV usage at an eight-year high among preschoolers.
I was shocked (and kind of impressed) the first time I met a friend’s young daughter. After being introduced to her “Annie” the musical obsession, the 2 1/2-year-old pulled up the video on her father’s iPhone. As she surfed the Internet and watched in amazement, I watched her with the same curiosity and fascination.
Do we have to sacrifice family reading time and after-dinner walks for cross-country Skype sessions and 3D blockbusters? As we evolve year and after, maybe we find our balance by appreciating what we gain and limiting what we lose. Maybe we have to recognize our face in the mirror before we Google our first word.
And then again, if we’re ever feeling nostalgic, we could always turn to YouTube for a glimpse of the past.
Wendy Wegner is editor of educational content for 1 On 1 Academic Tutors in Los Angeles. Visit her on the Web at www.wendywegner.com.
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