When your child asks for his own laptop...
Monday, August 13, 2012 at 7:36PM ..at the age of 6 then it is probably quite ok, but does he really need it? My son is exposed to technology and to the web probably a little bit more than other kids his age. He is joining me and my boyfriend to geek events (meetups and barcamps), he is experimenting with on-line gaming (at school and at home), he is starting to think of the apps he will develop himself (playing with Scratch). But when I was asked to purchase a laptop dedicated just for his needs I found it...I guess "early" is the right word. I do not see the need to buy a device which is going to be used once a week (weekly web allowance for his age in our house;)) specially if my own iPad is practically speaking HIS anyway.
But my son is full of surprises and somehow - just like cats do - anyway makes his point. Today, after quite a few days of silence on the topic of his own laptop and arguments that if he waits a bit longer his patience will be rewarded with his own Mac instead of a pc...he simply made his own!
OK, maybe it's not a real one, but does the job. He's got his laptop now. He HAS made his point and did make me think about it again. Sometimes I think generations are created to differ and clash so that the true progress will be born out of all that struggle between them. But most of the time I just think kids know everything much better than we do and we just need to listen. I am not saying that I will now run to the shop and purchase a new Mac for my son, but I think it might be a good time to consider more conversations and work on our shared one.
I will think about it;)
I would appreciate your feedback. When do you think we should get our kids their own laptops (not access to the web mind you, iPads are good for that from early years)? According to Mashable and other voices on-line we are looking at 8-12 year olds yet somehow I think we should do it earlier. I would love to know what you think!
kids in tech in KIDS IN TECHNOLOGY
Reader Comments (6)
We had a computer in my house when I was 5 - but it was shared, and my most rewarding experiences at that age were with my mother. It was always in the living room, so they could watch what I was doing - but I'd happily sit by myself, writing stories for hours. I only got my very own computer when I went to university; everything else was always the family's, even when I was writing computer games and putting things out on the nascent web (although by that point it might as well have been mine). Most of my friends who did have their own machines used them for games, and didn't end up really being makers.
I guess what I'm saying is: there's no harm at all in a shared machine.
His art (particularly the apple logo remix) could be made into a cool cover sticker for a real grown-up mac laptop :)
What's his argument for getting the laptop though, as opposed to using the iPad?
Oh man, don't succumb to the iPad! It's a great device, of course - I have one and love it - but it's all about consumption. One of the great things you can learn to do on a real computer is create.
I see Squarespace might be playing up as I cannot see Gleb's comment. I agree with you Ben that a computer/laptop gives more options to create, produce and finally code and build which is something we are trying to plant in Dawid's head after the recent Barcamp Berkshire. But I think Gleb's question was pretty valid: "What's his argument for getting the laptop though, as opposed to using the iPad?" It is indeed interesting to see that Dawid is drawn to laptop as much as he is to iPad. He simply uses them differently. iPad is all about games, drawing and science apps, increasingly about music (he can listen to his playlist on my iTunes). Laptop is something needed to access the games and apps he is briefed and allowed to use at school - those are more or less web browser based and he likes it this way. Of course there is also the element of importance - both me and Dan work from the living-room promoting the culture of open space - even at home. So for Dawid having his own laptop is also "the grown up way to use the web for work".
I agree with the notion of shared laptop and work in open space, working together with parents. Hence why it is so difficult to decide when to move him to his own machine...I think we are ok for a few more years but I am worried - for geeks like us it is hard to find the balance and foresee what is truly effective: less or more web, shared or owned device...I guess we will feel the real rage when it's time for getting him his own;)
maybe my comment just needs to be approved/moderated as not spam? :)
Gleb, I have found your second comment, thank you for posting, but the first one vanished! Even spam folder was empty, just got it as a notification - which is now reported to Squarespace - apologies for the mess, here is your original comment again:
"His art (particularly the apple logo remix) could be made into a cool cover sticker for a real grown-up mac laptop :)
What's his argument for getting the laptop though, as opposed to using the iPad?"