[geeks] Kids and computers...

[Andrew Weiss]

On Tue, 19 Feb 2002, Peter L. Wargo wrote:

> This incident brights to light something I've said many a time to
> people: Why do you let your kids use your computer?  I had a co-worker
> who really wanted a Mac, but was worried that the kids couldn't continue
> to sign out games from the library and run them at home.  I told him
> that was GREAT!  Get 'em a playstation!

Counterpoint: We need computers for the parents and computers for the
kids.  How else can we cultivate the passion that many of us have for
computing?  It starts at an early age.  I had a computer lab in my
elementary school (2nd grade).  We learned procedural logo and basic.

I think the Playstation is a toy for kids who've earned it or adults.
Far too often it is becoming daycare for todays kids.  Todays kids are
becoming inept at handling anything other than Windows.  They just don't
know any better.  The women are steered towards basic Office app usage and
the men are steered towards becoming overclocking PC game weenies.

I do agree that there is such a thing as my toys and their toys
computer-wise, but they have to have a machine that is theirs and they are
its custodian.  When it breaks it stays that way until they learn to fix
it.  We don't unceremoniously take it to a crappy PC shop and plop it on
some poor tech's desk every time it breaks.  In addition, kids should be
taught about technology from an extremely young age.  I used to cringe at
those insurance commercials which showed a toddler feeding a VCR oatmeal.
I used to work in service, and the things people spilled on or in their
computers was disgusting.

Andrew J. Weiss
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey Marge they have the Internet on computers now!" -- Homer Simpson

UNIX and cigarettes, both addictive and both contain tar.