Parenting in the internet age

First, a disclaimer: I’m not yet a parent. I’m merely an elder sister/observer in the rearing of my youngest sister. Last Monday, I brought Sarah, my 5-year old sister to UP OLA. I had no class and was going to UP only to submit an urgent RRAF, so I allowed her to come with me. Upon seeing the computers, she immediately sat down on one of the chairs and claimed one of the desktops. She whispered to me that she wanted to see Dora and Sponge Bob. Seeing her enthusiasm, I googled for pictures of her favorite cartoon characters.

It must be noted that at home, she is not allowed to use the computer principally because my parents are concerned that early affiliation with it will affect not only her academics, but her social skills as well. In short, the Monday incident was a manifestation of my being a ‘kunsintidora’.

Now, I’m wondering when is the right time to introduce a child to the computer? When is it too early as to hamper a child’s more fundamental skills and when is it too late to the point of being disadvantageous? Is this a hit or miss situation? Frankly, I don’t know, but I’m assuming that there can be no ‘one size fits all’ response to this.