MixedMedia

Remember when we were kids, how we’d be eager to get to the baby sitter’s early before school so we could catch 15 minutes or a half hour of Speedracer, Marine Boy, or Underdog? Then afterschool we’d rush back to catch Banana Splits, later it was He Man? By the time we were in high school we’d graduated to soda pop, MTV and illicit puffs of cigarette.

Today, I think that’s old hat.

My daughter is six, and her grandfather – an ex systems engineer – sent her an XO-loaded One Lap-top Per Child computer. I couldn’t believe the first words out of her mouth were, “Can I Google ‘lions’?” Next it was, “What about ‘Griffins’?” Finally, “‘Dragons?’”

Its a whole new world of electronic babysitting. If her time wasn’t moderated, I am certain she would spend hours with “Big G”, “Uncle G” or just plain “Goo Gool.”

I am convinced there are at least a few benefits:

• Helps her sort out her spelling – the old, “Did you mean…” is a default spell-checker as well as exposure to lots of new words and navigation
• Exposes her to the many different interpretations of the same thing (images)
•  Helps out her fine motor skills with that tricky mouse and trackpad