by being exposed to a computer at a very early age?In the first few years of development children learn many of the skills that will carry them through the rest of their lives. Some of the most important skills are language and socialization. Children learn to problem solve, find solutions and to be creative at an early age. They also develop and improve motor skills, hand eye coordination, and depth perception, which cannot be taught by any computer. The best way possible for any child to learn is to experience life, to experiment, and to observe what elders around them are doing. Children need the bond of caring adults to help them learn, yet technology is inadvertently weakening this bond. Sitting a child in front of a screen can actually slow the development of all these skills, especially creativity. The child learns to rely on the computer for creativity rather than their own mind. A child looking at a screen with a dancing dog and cat cannot compare to the effect hands on play could have. All a child has to do today is insert in a CD-ROM and a whole world is hers to play with. A young girl can play princess but never actually move from her chair. With a click of the mouse she can change a computerized girls costume, hair, and make-up. She never got the excitement of prancing around the house, looking goofy in moms make-up, or making the most beautiful dress out of a simple bed sheet. She missed out on the best part of being a child, being able to be mentally and physically creative. The computer did all the work, lessening her imagination skills. Once children get older more of what they learn is in the teachers hands and not so much their parents. Teachers tend to take over in the scholastic part of learning. At the elementary level, children use programs to enhance math and English skills. Games with flashy colors and gimmicks are used to encourage children to get the right answers. Many teaching programs always have their pro...
