No one would have wondered decades ago if their children needed personal computers. Now, with the advent of cheaper personal computing technology, it’s become a legitimate question to ask if children benefit from owning their own laptops.
As a conscientious parent, you may be interested to know that there are many reasons why children do benefit from having their own laptops. This is a short guide to broadening your perspective on how children interact with computers and whether you should get them one.
1. Be Creative
Computers are a fantastic tool for encouraging creative freedom for young children. You probably understand that children need tools to express themselves. That’s why you buy them marker sets and colored pencils.
However, computers give them so many more opportunities to express themselves through animation tools, digital drawing pads, and various interact-able technologies that boost their learning and get their creative juices flowing.
2. Relationships
We’re not talking about social media only, though that’s part of it. Building relationships with others is a huge part of growing up for any child. Connecting with friends over the internet on their own computer can strengthen those relationships.
Those without their own devices may feel left out in today’s fast-paced social environment. It’s important to give children the best chance to have a full relationship with their friends and not hold them back.
3. Jobs
When a young child uses a computer, they may not be killing time. They may be expanding their knowledge to acquire a life-long obsession with programming or art design or other high-demand careers.
A child that gets an interest in computers early could become a computer programmer by the time they’re a teenager. Their laptop could be their ticket to a profitable career that they’re passionate about.
4. Problem-solving
This has been an argument for a long time, but there’s constantly new research to support the fact that children learn how to be better problem solvers by having an early interaction with software.
Video games are not all made equally, but there are many building and discovery tools available on laptops that can excite children and encourage them to learn.
5. New learning techniques
As computers advance, new learning techniques are available to give kids a deeper understanding of their schoolwork and a more interactive experience in their own playing.
Virtual reality is now commercially viable and presents the opportunity for many learning initiatives. Soon, kids could be touring art galleries from their rooms or visiting the zoo from the comfort of their laptops.
6. Entrepreneurship
Computers are now so readily available to children that camps and summits have cropped up connecting children who love computers in order to teach them how to be future programmers and business leaders.
7. Connectivity
We talked about fostering their relationships with their friends. Computers can give children so much more than that. They can connect them to cultures and people all over the world, initiating interactions that would never have occurred naturally.
With the right guidance, a laptop could become a personal pen pal machine, improving a child’s worldliness and empathy by connecting them to people everywhere.
8. Community service
Kids in some places are using access to computers to engage in their community. Since computers give them access to communication that they wouldn’t otherwise have, conscientious kids can engage with local authorities, start petitions, and even help with charity events by using their Facebook pages or other media interactions.
9. Collaborative learning
As access to laptops becomes more normalized for students, teachers will have opportunities to assign collaborative work projects to them that will foster their individual skills in a team-based environment.
10. Motor skills
This is kind of important to all kids and really important to some. Using a computer requires specific motor functions, whether that’s using a mouse and keyboard or drawing with a touchscreen.
All children benefit from this brain exercise. However, those with noted motor skill deficiencies could be especially helped by exposure to laptops, for learning and for fun.
The Takeaway
As a parent, you don’t want to overexpose your child to inappropriate media or overwhelm them with stimuli. However, there are many reasons to give your children exposure to laptops that outweigh the manageable risks.
These include avenues to explore creativity, foster better relationships with friends, connect to others worldwide, and grant access to new and exciting learning tools.
If you’re considering taking this step with your child, search for laptop rentals in London or whatever city you’re based in to give it a try without a huge commitment.