5 years: Do you need a computer? 2026

Although it may seem early to us, children, from the age of five, are already beginning to use new technologies. Now, how to get them to learn and have fun with the computer in a healthy and safe way? The most important thing is to control the times, the activities and not leave them alone in front of the screen.

Is it a good idea for them to have their own computer?

No, it's not. Firstly because at this age they are not going to take advantage of such an expensive object. And second, because we must convey to children that the computer is for shared use. It is the family computer, which dad uses to shop online and mom uses to work and with which we all play together from time to time.

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How long can they spend in front?

Half an hour a day or a little more (an hour would be excessive). Being on the computer has to be another activity, like playing ball or reading. We can also combine digital activities with other manual ones: "Let's look for pretty drawings on the Internet and then print them out so we can color them" or "let's talk to our cousin on Skype and then write him a letter with what we forgot to tell him." It's a good time to teach healthy habits like sitting up straight or not getting too close to the screen.

Could it be harmful to their health at such a young age?

If the times are controlled, there are no problems for the eyes or the back. However, we must keep in mind that using the computer is a very intellectually active and physically very passive activity. The computer time plus the time spent watching TV, sitting at school, on the bus... all of this adds up and the balance can tip towards sedentary activities to the detriment of physical exercise. To avoid the tendency to become overweight, the activity level has to be in the middle (and have an adequate diet, of course).

Where do I put it?

In a common place in the house, be it the living room, an office or the study room, but in no case in the child's room. The ideal is that the space where it is located is well lit and that the screen is at the height of the child's eyes and at a distance of approximately 50 cm.

How can you ensure your security on the Internet?

The main thing is the supervision of dad or mom but, to keep us calmer, the same technology offers us instruments to control what our children do on the computer. We can create a user with their name (not only will they love this, but it will also keep our important documents safe). We can also configure the browser so that it only has access to a series of pages that we have previously selected (and added to the favorites list). Finally, there are parental control programs or kangaroo programs with which times can be controlled, which prevent access to inappropriate content or which even allow us to see which pages our children have visited.

Can they be left alone in front of the computer?

It is not recommended, for several reasons:

What if parents have no idea about computers?

Common sense must be applied. The role of parents is to guide children in its proper use (neither be censorious nor permissive), so it doesn't hurt to look for information that helps us understand this phenomenon with which we were not born, but our children are. On the page www.kiddia.org, of the Junta de Andalucía, there is material aimed at parents. The “Educate to protect” guide is especially interesting.

What about the ones that are for children?

With them, children play at being adults and they can also serve to reinforce some school content such as learning letters or numbers. However, what the little ones do with these toys has nothing to do with what they do on a real computer, which is the possibility of creating, be it a story, a drawing, music...

Advisors: Tere Vida, specialist in gaming, education and new technologies (www.marinva.es). Fernando García Páez, ICT coordinator of the San Walabonso school in Niebla (Huelva) www.juntadeandalucia.es/averroes/sanwalabonso. Jorge Flores, director of www.pantallasamigas.net.