When did you get your first computer?

The first computer I remember really well was my dad’s work laptop he brought home in the beginning of the 1990s. It must have cost a fortune, but my dad always had a very relaxed attitude around computers.

I remember dad saying that there’s nothing permanently bad we can do with a computer – a bold statement in the era without automatic backups and when everyone else was advising kids not to touch the expensive computers! As a result me and my siblings created stories, drawings, games and probably removed the operating system a few times. But most importantly we developed a fearless and creative attitude towards technology.

Linda Liukas

The closing phrase continues to make me think about when and how introduce ‘computers‘ to my son. At 9 months he’s already aware that the TV-remote and our smartphones are things to play with… and while the remote is just a tool like any toy in the box, the smartphone screen with its neverending source of music and video is a temptation that I do not want him to indulge with…

Do you have a child? How soon and in what forms did you let him/her play with smartphones and tablets?