Impact of Computer on Children: Their School Performance, Social Relationships and Safety

Abstract

This work is a contribution to the interaction of children and computers. It consists of exper

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questionnaires to parents and interviews to children. The results of the research are believed to address the interest of children, parents, educators and media producers. The significant results of this study are that computer is a favorite subject to most children. Using a shared computer at home does not negatively affect the brothers’ and the sisters’ relationships, as it might be thought. Moreover, the research found that children understand stories better when they read them from traditional books than when they read them from e-books. Also, the preference of choosing a favorite application is strongly affected by the preference of using of keyboards or mice. Concerning the child’s safety, the number of times of using computers per week is of no effect on child’s safety, while the duration of use strongly affects his eye and his back. Computers have no effect on school performance of children, and nor on their social relationships. The research found that teaching children basic computer applications can be performed by using computers, as long as the user interfaces are user friendly and self guiding. The study recommends making use of games in children education. Design of computers and their environments should be user-centered. The educational values in the children's programs should not contradict each other.