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A device that lets you eavesdrop on other peoples' mp3 players.
A device that lets you eavesdrop on other peoples' mp3 players.
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I find it interesting that so many people are angry about this question. The most common answer is "kids don't need more screens, they should be outside playing." But isn't this hypocritical? It's ok for an adult to use laptops but not kids? I find it very unrealistic to say kids shouldn't use computers. Raising a kid that doesn't use a computer in this generation is like raising a kid that doesn't know how to read or write. It's become an integral part of American society and trying to tell kids that access to computers will harm their childhood is inaccurate. Of course, there should be balance in all things. Kids shouldn't have hours of daily computer time just like we wouldn't lock them outside and expect them play outdoors for 10 hours a day. An hour a day of game/computer time is plenty.
Children have regular computer/typing classes in elementary school these days, just as they do PE, art and music. It's naive to believe that the raising generation won't be plugged in to a level we've never experienced before. Even the "kids" in college right now are constantly texting/tweeting/etc. It all comes down to parents. Teach a love of reading along with an understand of computers, as well as an appreciation for outdoors.
And, just to answer the question, for a kid-friendly laptop I include the following components:
-No downloads without parental approval.
-Keys that don't pop off easily when little fingers pull at them.
-Plenty of memory and processing ability to handle highly interactive sites. My computer is relatively new and there are still some kids sites that freeze it up (nick.com, for example.)
-Internet filtering software that cannot be circumvented by a crafty kid, but that can also be adjusted by parents as the kids get older. A smart piece of software that isn't going to filter everything out that has the word "sex" in it. Sextants are perfectly acceptable topics of research :)
I find it interesting that so many people are angry about this question. The most common answer is "kids don't need more screens, they should be outside playing." But isn't this hypocritical? It's ok for an adult to use laptops but not kids? I find it very unrealistic to say kids shouldn't use computers. Raising a kid that doesn't use a computer in this generation is like raising a kid that doesn't know how to read or write. It's become an integral part of American society and trying to tell kids that access to computers will harm their childhood is inaccurate. Of course, there should be balance in all things. Kids shouldn't have hours of daily computer time just like we wouldn't lock them outside and expect them play outdoors for 10 hours a day. An hour a day of game/computer time is plenty.
Children have regular computer/typing classes in elementary school these days, just as they do PE, art and music. It's naive to believe that the raising generation won't be plugged in to a level we've never experienced before. Even the "kids" in college right now are constantly texting/tweeting/etc. It all comes down to parents. Teach a love of reading along with an understand of computers, as well as an appreciation for outdoors.
And, just to answer the question, for a kid-friendly laptop I include the following components:
-No downloads without parental approval.
-Keys that don't pop off easily when little fingers pull at them.
-Plenty of memory and processing ability to handle highly interactive sites. My computer is relatively new and there are still some kids sites that freeze it up (nick.com, for example.)
-Internet filtering software that cannot be circumvented by a crafty kid, but that can also be adjusted by parents as the kids get older. A smart piece of software that isn't going to filter everything out that has the word "sex" in it. Sextants are perfectly acceptable topics of research :)
