Are computer games and videos for prescoolers OK?

I'm not talking about frum or not frum here - I question the value or possible harm of small children getting used to this kind of over-stimulation at high speeds from such a young age. I htink it takes away form the tactile stimulation that they should be getting at this phase of life as well as makes them very antsy as time goes on.

as they grow older and enter the world of cellphones and FB (I'm talking now about pre-teens)- some of them text and talk on the phone at the same time. on FB, they have 5 chat windows open at the same time, and status-ing to boot. This is more than multi-tasking, and it is becoming a wide-spread addiction, form what I see and hear.
_________________
Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. (I haven't finished growing up yet; I'm still a work in progress - until 120!)

Diamond Member Joined: Oct 25 2007 Posts: 4833

I am not a big fan of computer games for kids. Unfortunately, it's hard to enforce that past age 8-10 because of peer exposure.

I have nothing against kids learning to use computers, but they can begin learning keyboarding skills at age 5 or so and start using a word processing program to write stories, etc., as soon as they learn to read a few words.

The biggest problem with computer games, IMHO, is that they create an association in children's minds between technology and entertainment. Computers are tools, not toys. We use them to help us do work. Yes, they have entertaining features, as I'd be the first to admit. That said, the first connection in a child's mind should be "computer = task/work" rather than "computer = mindless fun."

I agree.

I also feel that today's children have shorter and shorter attention spans, because of all this over stimulation.
_________________
Really Awesome Mom!