Does Not Compute

The anthropologists found that children under nine lacked the fine motor skills to use keyboards effectively. They also learned that many younger children like to socialize when using technology, but that individual computers aren't designed for sharing. "Working in front of a computer is an isolated activity," says Blinkoff. "Although it seems as if you could put a kid down with a PC or an interactive game, the first thing younger children do is look for company."

The study, dubbed "GenWired," did not focus on education--it collected data on home technology use that Context-Based Research sells to toy, game, and Web companies. But its findings should be of interest to educators. For instance, Blinkoff notes a phenomenon witnessed by many librarians: when two brothers, six and nine, sat down at a computer to play an educational game, their session rapidly deteriorated into fighting over who was in charge of the mouse.

The researchers also noted differences in boys' and girls' computer use. Girls, they say, are more interested in social uses of technology--America Online's instant messaging, for instance. Boys, however, are more interested in "coolness" and the operation of individual pieces of hardware and software.

The significant number of social interactions Blinkoff witnessed around computers convinced him that today's children are not chained to electronics. "Everyone says, 'Kids are growing up online,' but I don't think that's so," he says. --Walter Minkel