Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children’s Minds–For Better and Worse

Review by Julie P. Clark for Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children’s Minds–For Better and Worse
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Do computers have a place in our homes and schools for young children? Is it wise to encourage such use by youngsters? This is a debate that is getting a lot of attention. Jane Healy, Ph.D., has been an educator for more than 35 years, including experience as a classroom teacher, elementary school administrator, and college professor. She begins her book with a discussion of how the whole technological revolution is almost of a religious fervor. To research her book, she spent hundreds of hours visiting classrooms and homes to watch kids interact with their computers.Healy maintains that parents who purchase software for their babies have been sold a bill of goods. She says that there is no evidence that computers and software will make kids smarter. Rather, it may be doing them more harm than good.In Chapter One, Healy expresses concern about how technology is shaping children’s growing brains, saying “The younger the mind, the more malleable it is. The younger the technology is, the more unproven it is.” She believes educators – and parents – should carefully consider the potential- and irrevocable – effects of this new electronic technology.She calls this exposing of young children- generally, babies – age seven or eight -, a “vast and optimistic experiment,” and that “It is well financed and enthusiasticlly supported by major corporations, the public at large, and government officials around the world.” She says that there is no proof- or even convincing evidence- that it will be successful in enriching our youngster’s minds and lives, or that society will benefit and education will be permanently changed for the better.Far from being a “techno-phobe,” Healy was, at one time, a big believer in the benefits of children using computers. But, after her hundreds of hours in the field, “picking the brains” of leaders in the field, and research, she has now come to the conclusion that we are rushing into something with “far too much money with too little thought,” saying “It is past time to pause, reflect, and ask some probing questions.”She answers many questions in her book about computer use by children, such as how and when a child should begin using a computer, what kind of software is appropriate for different ages, which ones may be harmful, and why, and how do we balance education and entertainment.Too often, Healy says, parents are seduced by “the glitz and novelty of this wondrous equipment.” She adds that “Experience suggests we should temper our enchantment with a critical look at whether anything educational is really being accomplished.”This is a fascinating look at the effects computers have on children. While she acknowledges that there may be times when computers could be useful, they are seldom as helpful as many believe. She encourages parents and educators to take a long, hard look at what is passing for computer “learning,” and to not be beguiled in thinking that our children are are really learning by merely “pressing some buttons.”For parents who are interested, there is a study guide in the back of the book that is helpful for those who wish to have a study group using this book, or to just get more out of it themselves.

Review by for Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children’s Minds–For Better and Worse
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As a parent and public librarian interested in child development I often recommend this book to the parents of young children. The frequent comments from parents, teachers, professors, children and industry experts that appear throughout each chapter add to the evidence and personal examples of the dangers of over-exposure to computers for pre-schoolers and young children.