• Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!

PC for a kid? what age?

Jeane123

Put Some Respect On My Name
6/4/15
4,069
16
0
ummmm, I never thought I would ask this question but I know some members here will have some good insight here.

my daughter is turning 10 in a few weeks and I am considering to get her her own PC. If this was all up to me she would have had her own at the age of 6 as I did (however mine was the size of a room) but times have changed and the internet and games are not what they were when we young. I guess my biggest concern is opening yet another door into the privacy of my home and the safety of my kids. My wifes cousin's kids have had PC's since a very young age and they (they are really good kids) seem to be a little exposed to stuff that I don't feel comfortable exposing my kids to at this age, but on the positive side they are also miles ahead of any other kids as far as technical skills. I may be overthinking this as all my kids have ipads and other devices connected 24/7 but I am controlling the content and I fear that I would drive myself nuts trying to control her PC. I don't want her / my other kids to be behind when it comes to technology but I also don't want to expose them to what is out there.

There is one additional catch, my 10 yr old has mild Asperger's and that just complicates things even more as she is brilliant academically but honestly socially she is still 5 or 6.
 

atgm

Put Some Respect On My Name
Patron
21/11/15
3,605
10
38
I think that's a great age to get her a computer, albeit in a structured way... perhaps in the same room as yours? Firewall etc. of course, maybe site logging. Maybe make her a mail account with a username she won't regret 10 years from now and emphasize that you and her mother can look at it whenever.

On the other side of the coin, I think the longer kids stay away from PCs etc. nowadays, the more likely it is that they'll be naive in high school or college when it can really hurt socially or academically. Also, in high school and college, a lot of their peers will be a lot more vicious and dangerous than any shadowy guy on the internet, so it really pays off to have some level of knowledge then.

Edit: And on a less technological side, I think that if parents always keep comfortably open channels of communication with their kids, it should be relatively easy to clear up any problems or miscommunications that show up early on due to the internet... screaming about something that a kid was looking at out of curiosity would do more harm than having seen that -- I can say that after having been on the receiving end as a kid. :)
 

jpohl402

Put Some Respect On My Name
10/7/12
5,327
17
38
My oldest is 5. This just gave me an entire new thing requiring addressing to think about, and a potential dilemma (in a few years time), with kids needing to be proficient in computers yet wanting to factor in safety as well....
Not 10yrs old, but I certainly know what I was like beginning at 13 - wild and running the streets, getting into trouble and causing havoc. And looking up all sorts of things on the computer (hacking, weapons, etc.)

Not looking forward to dealing w my share of this. So, Good luck OP!!
Implement Something moderated I'm sure, like said above. I really don't know what else to say!
 

Kingquest_s

Renowned Member
Supporter
Certified
3/1/16
821
118
43
CONUS
Get them the chromebook. It is very affordable prices around 150 to 300 depend on brand. It is light way and easy to use. U dont need to worry about virus. Dont buy apple. It way to much for kid. Regular computer u can buy the some laptop around 250-600 with i3 or m core. Windows 10 touch screen.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
 

Retina

Put Some Respect On My Name
Certified
18/12/14
5,200
164
63
I was exposed to the internet when I was 8. I turned out fine :) albeit I was a lot more mature than most people around me
 

Jeane123

Put Some Respect On My Name
6/4/15
4,069
16
0
Thanks for all the input, I think I am going to give it a trial run with 1.5 hours per day etc and then see how it goes from there.


Sent from the RWI mobile app
 

rsiegs14

You're Saying I Can Sell?
29/7/16
31
0
0
getting her a computer at a young age is the best thing you can do for her. I got my first around 10 and now I'm a software engineer- 100% my interest as a child contributed to my actual career today


Sent from the RWI mobile app
 

Phil G

Put Some Respect On My Name
29/9/10
3,622
52
48
Stevenage, Hertfortshire, England
Just go ahead and get one.
Twenty years ago at the age of 47 I thought I was too old for computers :biggrin-new:
But, in July 97 I had to surrender my handguns inline with the government's ban. As all my spare time was spent on the firing range it left a big gap in my life that was filled by learning about computers. Wish I'd done in many years before.
We buy our little one's Amazon tablets when they are about 2-3yrs old. Very basic tablets.
Good luck, Phil
 

Hyjynx

Put Some Respect On My Name
28/9/13
3,510
522
0
I have a more laissez-faire approach to parenting. Both my kids, now teenagers, started using computers at ages much earlier than most of their peers. Occasionally, I would go through their browsing history. I have seen stuff that would cause other parents to freak out. I didn't, but turned them into teachable moments. You can't stop the curiosity of a young mind. And you shouldn't, really. One way or another, they will learn about things you try to shield from them. Better they do so under your roof than elsewhere. My boy is now in pre-med college and the girl is learning to code. So I think they're not the worse for the early exposure to computers, but actually thrive because of it.
 

Rx4Time

Supporter, Panerai lover
Supporter
Certified
31/3/16
10,855
7,558
113
CONUS
Right or wrong, both of my kids got tablets when they were two and each had an old laptop that could manage web browsing, etc at the same age. They really could not do much beyond click the mouse and tap the screen as they could not read yet, but at least they began to be comfortable with the technology and learn how to use it responsibly. I've got friends who try to limit access and all it does is cause fights. Mine have unlimited access within reason. They rarely touch any of the electronics, most days max 30 minutes if that...they prefer to play with their real toys. I spot check web browsing history, etc. My oldest is 9 now.
 

efajri

Put Some Respect On My Name
17/10/16
3,679
940
113
Midwest CONUS
As earliest as possible, but I wouldn't let them take the laptop or have it in their room. At our house, we have a shared PC in our study room.
 

Radman

I'm Pretty Popular
Supporter
6/12/13
1,909
27
48
Can you get away with an amazon device or something that still has some level of parental controls?

I have a six year old and I can't imaging her not having a laptop by 10 based on education stuff alone. I think you may have held off as long as you could.