Surfing the Web Helps Kids Learn

Don't tell the kids, but the Internet may be good for them.
Children who spent time on the web had higher grade point averages and
scored better on standardized tests than other children, according to
researchers at Michigan State University. What's more, looking at a
computer screen had no impact--either negative or positive--on adult's
social lives and well-being.

After just one year of online access, children performed better in
school than kids who did not have web access. "Whether the children are
seeking information for schoolwork, personal interests or hobbies,"
explains Linda Jackson, the lead investigator in the three-year study,
"the heavily text-based nature of the web means that children who spend
more time online are spending more time reading."

Contrary to many reports that associate web-surfing with social
pathology, Jackson found that spending time online was not bad for
parents, either. Those who went online at home suffered "no social or
psychological impact," says Jackson. They "did not spend less time with
family and friends, talking on the phone or participating in community
activities."

The survey is part of a larger research program, known as the
HomeNetToo project, that examines how Internet use affects lower-income
families. Participants in the study were given computers and technical
support for more than a year. About 120 adults and 140 children
participated; nearly half of the families had incomes less than $15,000 a
year.