Children should be banned from using computers until age nine, says UK expert

Children should be banned from using computers in schools until they are nine-years-old because the early use of technology is destroying their attention spans, a leading expert said yesterday. The premature introduction and overuse of technology is damaging young children whose brains are not yet fully formed, according to Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist and author.

As a result, the "nappy curriculum" – the statutory rules introduced in 2008 which dictate that toddlers should be introduced to computers as early as 22 months of age – is "subverting the development of children's cognitive skills". Speaking to a conference of childcare specialists yesterday, the academic said children needed to use the three dimensional, real world to learn.



"There is evidence to show that introducing information and communication technology (ICT) in the early years actually subverts the very skills that Government ministers said they want children to develop, such as the ability to pay attention for sustained periods," said Mr Sigman. "There is a conflict between multitasking and sustained attention. These things cannot and should not be developed at the same time. Sustained attention must be the building block.

"The big problems we are seeing now with children who do not read, or who find it difficult to pay attention to the teacher, or to communicate, are down to attention damage that we are finding in all age groups." The controversial Early Years Foundation Stage, which sets dozens of learning goals for children from their first year to the age of five, says that computers should be introduced from 22 months and that from 40 months children should be able to "perform simple ICT functions, such as select a channel on the TV remote control and use a mouse and keyboard to use age-appropriate software".