At what age do you think a child should be allowed to own a computer?

I don't have any kids. But I do have nephew and nieces. I think you should allow her to own a computer. Of course you would have to limit the sites she gets on. Now a days you have to be cautious with teenagers. Because there are so many predators out in the world. So make sure you get informed on how to block sites and be able to monitor the sites she gets on. Am not saying to spy on her but just check up on her at times. Like I would say let her know its a PRIVILEGE to have a computer not a RIGHT.

i hope at the age of 15........

Luckily for me that I did not have to make that decision. There was no way that I could of afforded another computer when my girls were younger. There were 3 of them here when I finally got us one and we all had to share....you have no idea how many fights I had to break up as a result! Still, the computer was in the living room and I could easily see what they were doing from the kitchen. Each kid is different but I just felt better knowing what my girls were up to on the internet. Now it is just me and my 16 yr old and she has her own laptop. I don't know , Zion. You know your daughter better than anyone. I always went with my gut on this one. The one that is now 16 caused me more concern than any of the others at 12 and 13. The one that is now 24 was like 20 teens in one....her use of the internet was the least of my worries. Go with your gut and your heart.

My daughter has one, but it's slow, and she's always on mine. Hard to get online sometimes. But I"m not worried about WHAT she's doing on there, she's very open about it, more the amount of time she's spending.

thats when i got my first computer, let her have one of her own!

No problem. Let her explore the world. but you should control them.Dont keep the system private place. keep it in public place in your house

You know, I don't have children, but a computer not hooked up to the internet wouldn't have the dangers of one hooked up, however, you would have to be sure she can't get online with it. At 12 it probably isn't a problem, but they start pushing the limit when they get older, and sneakier... good luck

I actually wish I had gotten a computer when I was younger because maybe then I'd actually be more computer savvy instead of a technotard. I think it's fine to get a c computer. I'm sure there has to be some kind of blocker or something that you can add to make sure she doesn't access stuff that you don't want her to. My nieces all had computers by this age or possibly even younger. Until a few years ago I was forced to go to the library myself for any sort of computer access which I really think hurt me because I don't really know that much about computers.

I personally think that the earlier a child is introduced to the computer the better! Education is always important and I guess if a child can get in with computers at an early age then the child stands a good chance of having a lot more opportunities in life later on! I think that a child should be supervised obviously when they are using the computer as we have all heard about the dangers that linger out there on the good old Internet. As long as homework is being done, that's the most important thing first and foremost, then the computer can be used for other things as well such as making online contacts and friends. If you do purchase a computer for your daughter then yes, there's the option that her computer doesn't have to be connected to the Internet. This would definitely ensure her safety. However, she may start to pester you! She may want regular access to the Internet and there's nothing to stop you from monitoring her sessions. Well, good luck. Andrew

I don't have any kids... but maybe from junior high school, sounds about right.

I was 15 when i first got a PC and internet. things were diffrent then and risk are high on the net.. Virus and illegal content and bad guys and ladys takling to children is a risk.. Some things you can do to make it safer for them include Block certain content and sites. There is perental control software avalible which allows the younger user to only see safe sites, and you can allow or disable I think Microsoft provide this for free from there site, but there are many softwares avalible. You might want to allow then to have a limited Windows account, this stops downloads and reduce risk of virus or then installing software you dont want them using. You can also keep check on the internet browser history, this way you can see what sites have been visited.. You can also get software that will allow you to see what your child is viewing online while you use your computer downstair or in the office. Again always remind young ones not to talk to stangers, and encourage them to talk to you about thier browsing and online experiences so that you can help or step in if required all the best

12 would be an okay age, however you will have to set the parental discretion features so that you can keep the weirdo outs. Not so much distrusting but well you know how it is when we get on here. Anyways the internet is an excellent thing for her as she can do school research more effectively. Also you may not want to put it in her room per say. Maybe the dinning room and or living room, this way you can casually peek without her thinking you are snooping.

i start using computer when i was about 15 years old. now a days 5 or 6 years old child's are using playing games,watching cartoons, but i think the child should be allowed when he/she become 8 years old.at this age child can learn and use computer. happy mylot

I think age 15 is a good age to own a computer. That is when I got my first computer. Many parents would disagree with me though because they think it interferes with school work.

Hi. zionsphere. I think that at the age of 12 is a great age for her to have her own computer. You can choose a computer that would be age appropriate for her. I am sure that you would know the best additions to add to her computer to make it suitable to learn from. I know this girl that is a cousin of my husband's. And she is, about 9 year old and she plays on the computer. She loves the games that the computer has.

My son is 10 and he's been wanting his own computer for the longest time. Mostly because he wants to play his computer games. I do want to get him one of those cheap ones, but I'm also afraid that it wouldn't be good for him. Aside from me not being able to monitor him completely, he might download a lot of virus on his computer. I think I would wait until he would be responsible enough to get him his own. You should too. These days, it is a necessity for school.

You can buy her a computer and install K9 Web Protection to prevent her from going to any malicious websites. But perhaps the most important thing you should do first is to educate her on not giving out her personal information in the web.

Around the age of 13

My son is 14 and I bought him laptop last year. He needs it at school because of their research and project and I often use our desk top so I decided to bought him a laptop so he can have his own. Children really need to have their own computer for their studies.

I've been using computers as long as I can remember; We had an old Apple 2 when I was four or five (96-97ish), and that's what I started on. I think 12 would be a good age; however, if you do bless her with internet, use parental controls to aid in keeping her safe. There are many programs out there, and I reccomend KidsWatch. there's a demo, if you want to try it, however each aspect is sold individualy, making it pricey. You can check it out here: http://www.kidswatch.com/