HACKER Q&A
📣 Desafinado

Kids and PCs. When and how to introduce?


I've heard there's no real need to introduce kids to a PC until they're six or so. Do people here agree with that?

Setting aside the obvious of keeping them away from tablets and smartphones and most of the internet, would a linux box work? Would I be able to find adequate educational kids games that worked with Linux?

  👤 mixmastamyk Accepted Answer ✓
Agreed, they need to understand how to read and do math for a general-purpose computer to make sense. We really liked the Kano computer, though it went out of business I think? May still be able to piece one together. Was open source, and installs on a Raspberry Pi. A good kit of which is great too.

Avoid the version with Windows and delete Youtube links like the plague of course. People think about safety in general, but tend to forget about the surveillance aspect—why it's important to keep big corps out.