April 19, 2002

By Jon Slater

Giving deprived pupils a computer can help them make friends and improve home life, according to research presented at the American Educational Research Association conference in New Orleans. Jon Slater reports

Providing pupils from disadvantaged homes with computers might be expected to help them with their schoolwork. But according to new research, it could also enable them to make friends and even improve their relationship with their parents.

An evaluation of a New York project that placed computers in the homes of 89 students found that a third said that the experience had made it easier to make friends. Nearly one in five said their relationships with other family members had improved.

Parents and children sat down at the computer together and children were able to show off their new talents and discoveries to other family members. One girl said that her father had shown her the logic behind the game Minesweeper, while another had introduced her grandma to Internet chatrooms.

Other positive effects reported by pupils included increased relaxation (57 per cent), greater curiosity (46), and more control of their life (24). The study was carried out jointly by Computers for Youth, which administered the scheme, and Elisheva Gross of the University of California, Los Angeles.

All students receiving a computer attended one of two New York schools where more than 90 per cent of pupils are eligible for free meals. Students were asked to fill in a survey and a three-day journal of their home computer use three to seven months after having received it.

"Low-income youth have a tremendous amount to gain from home computing. Given the poverty which surrounds their lives, these young people may find special refuge in home computing," the report said.

"Through it they find the means to satisfy their needs for autonomy, belonging and competence—needs that middle and high-income adolescents may more easily fulfil in their safer and more supportive environments."

Students spent an average of 1.5 hours per night using their computer. Playing games was the most popular activity, followed by surfing the web and sending emails.

Although most of this activity was unrelated to schoolwork, researchers found that there was a knock-on effect in terms of adolescents' self-esteem.

More than half reported doing something on the computer that had made them proud of themselves, and a similar number said they had learned at least one new thing during the three days they spent on their journal.

The report suggests that the freedom to experiment and use computers outside the formal environment of school was a key factor in students' positive responses.

"Adolescents who used their computers most at home felt that having it helped them to relax, make new friends and do better in school. They reported higher academic expectations and more pride in their schoolwork than did peers who used computers most outside the home."

'Applying a Youth Psychology Lens to the Digital Divide' by Kallen Tsikalas, Elisheva Gross and Elisabeth Stock. ktsikalas@cfy.org