Kid + Technology

[tortoise]

Is there any reason why my almost-4 year old son should not have an email account? He can type s.l.o.w.l.y. when he knows how to spell a word. I thought he would like it if the library notices for his card came to *his* email.

What do you think?

 

[abifae]

as long as you are the only one who can get in. you wanna make sure he's not getting too much viagra spam.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

as long as you are the only one who can get in. you wanna make sure he's not getting too much viagra spam.

This. Or worse
Even with security set high, stuff still sneaks through sadly.

 

[patandchickens]

I sure wouldn't do it. Not even with supervision. For a whole variety of reasons.

If you really really wanna anyhow, why not set up YOURSELF a separate email account, that he does not consider his and that he does not know the password to and that is treated as YOURS but he gets to sit on the chair next to you and use it for purposes that YOU specify.

Honestly though I think the internet is in too many ways a really bad influence on kids these days and while they are certainly bound to "find out about" and start using it sooner or later, why push for it to be sooner. At all in any way.

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[FarmerChick]

My kid is turning 6 in April.
I am now just getting her an email account. Having Barbie stuff emailed to her...but it is controlled by me and with my password etc.

"We" will check it daily and she won't ever be alone on the computer.

4 years old...hmmm...young but if you control it absolutely I truly don't see why not. I just thought this was a good age cause she can type now and has been on computer games etc and has some true understanding of computers now.

 

[big brown horse]

Yeah, I agree with everyone else. Sam was 12 when she got her own email account, and that was only b/c I moved her 3,000 miles away from her cousins. She rarely uses it though. She likes to send letters/cards the old fashioned way.

She was allowed to use my computer however, just not get on the internet, I never gave her my password. She loved to type "letters" on word perfect and play games once in a while.

My beef with young kiddos using computers too much is that they sometimes don't get to practice their fine motor skills.