Call me old-fashioned, but I got a weird jolt when I opened an email containing a product announcement for the new PeeWee Pivot Tablet, a laptop designed for use by children. While it’s true that computer skills are important in today’s ever-accelerating society, bear in mind that there are also drawbacks to introducing your child to computers early. But let’s talk about the PeeWee first.
The laptop’s main feature is its pivoting screen, which transforms the machine from a standard laptop to a tablet-style computer, with a screen that can be drawn upon with the included stylus. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel webcam, Wi-fi connectivity, a spill-proof keyboard, a Disney-themed version of Windows XP, and built-in parental controls that allow you to manage and monitor how your child uses the laptop.
At $599.99, it’s hardly a toy. In fact, though it touts included educational software for different age levels, it’s difficult to imagine any actual need for a child to have her own laptop. Consider that every moment spent playing a game, surfing the ‘Net, or interacting with others in a virtual space is time that could be better spent with you. Kids will learn to use computers in school; most classrooms these days incorporate computers as part of the facilities, and computer training is quickly becoming a necessary part of the curriculum. You don’t need to worry that your child will fall behind; she’ll pick it up pretty quickly.
What’s not so quickly mastered are social skills, gross- and fine-motor movement, and patience. These are attributes that can only be developed in the real world, interacting with real people face to face. It might be fun for your child to talk to someone over her webcam, but really, that’s just an advanced telephone — she shouldn’t be spending a great deal of time on it anyway. And those educational programs might be engaging, but they can’t match the value of live instruction. These early years fly by so quickly, wouldn’t you rather spend them playing with your child? She’ll become sophisticated and jaded soon enough; there’s no need to rush her into it.
