Children Need Less Computer Time, Argues Expert

Children's reading and conversational skills are being put at risk due to the overuse of devices such as smartphones and computers, according to Independent Schools Council's Barnaby Lenon.

“Parents should resist buying sons and daughters a smartphone until they are at least 15 and limit computer use to an hour or two a day” he said. He continues on to say “Exposure to computers was particularly damaging to boys, harming their long-term development. Far too many children, and particularly boys, become quite addicted to computer use...It is very hard to prevent children from accessing damaging material through the computer, but the main issue is that children spend far too long on computers and, as a result, they are not doing the two things that we want [them] to do, which are reading and conversation.”

Instead he advises parents to keep their children's use of computers, televisions, and other such devices to about one hour a day until around age 12 and two hours for older ages.

He also requested schools to use multiple choice questions more often in exams because they are less susceptible to errors and cover more of the syllabus.