Computer Games, Children & the Internet: Technology, Educational Uses & Effects on Cognitive Development

The Internet has fundamentally changed our ability to communicate and interact. It offers unprecedented capabilities for information interchange and communication, but the developing world lags far behind the developed world in Internet use. Novel uses of information communications technology and the Internet, such as the One Laptop Per Child program, the Hole-in-the-Wall paradigm, and use of mobile devices offer great opportunities for closing the digital divide and revolutionising education in the developing world. However, broadening access to the Internet will likely lead to increased problems of internet addiction, cyberbullying, and access to objectionable material. Currently, the relevance that video games have acquired as an expression of popular culture is undeniable. Video games were found to be the second most frequent activity that young people from 9 to 16 years old engage in internet. This book discusses computer games as well as the effect the internet and video games have on children and young adults.