What is the youngest age a student should be allowed to have his/her own computer?

Question

I'd like to know if you think 13 years old is too young to have my own computer for schoolwork and internet research-- maybe a little gaming and email. What do you think?

Answer 1

I was going to say 13 is the perfect age :] Then they don't feel like they're being cut off and they have some good judgement xD  

Answer 2

That's not too young! I got mine for my 10th birthday! Can't live without it!

Answer 3

well i got mine when i was 15. i think it depends on the person's responsibility and if the family has the money at the time to get him/her a computer.

Answer 4

Well, i'm 13 and i got my for Christmas this past year. My parents trust me and know that i'm not gonna look at all that c**p. My mom installed this kid protection system but i got my dad to take it off. haha i'm a daddy's girl. :]

Anyways, maybe your parents would let you do that. They're supposed to protect you from "dangerous websites" and internet predators.  

Answer 5

I think around 13 is a good age to have a laptop/computer bought for them this is when school gets more serious and you will probably want more time to spend on the computer for pleasure, I know I do, and I hogged the computer for hours and got moaned at so now I have my own laptop!

Answer 6

I got mine when I think I was 11 or 12. It was an x-mas pressie and I'm still using it now!

Answer 7

a little to young i would think.

not to young to be on a family computer.

but it depends on the circumstances.

Answer 8

probably 14ish.

Answer 9

It depends on maturity level but the fact that you felt the need to add "little gaming and e-mail" makes me want to say you may not be ready, just yet. It's each individual parents choice, though.

Answer 10

no, go for it.

i know 8 year olds with their own laptops

thats to young

Answer 11

I got my laptop when I was 13. People here are gonna say "No, too young! It means p**n!". Gosh no it doesn't! I think you can have your own laptop/computer with internet access.

I've had the same laptop since and I'll be 17 in Februaury. I think I'm going to ask for a new one for Christmas though. This one is falling apart thanks to my brother...

Answer 12

i had a computer in my room ever since i could remember and i got a laptop at like 10 i think 13 is an ok age to have a computer

Answer 13

ive had one in my room since i was 10/11 theres no prob with it.

Answer 14

lol, i'm 12 and have had my own laptop since i was nine. Any age.

Answer 15

I got my own computer when i was 12 almost 13 i got it for christmas which was 3 months before my birthday.

i think its fine especially if your only going to use it for school work and the occasional game and your parents no that

Answer 16

I don't think it's too young to have a computer - but it is too young to have unsupervised access to the internet - and you should definitely still have someone keeping an eye on your email to make sure you don't get scammed or bullied.  

Answer 17

You own computer maybe unless you are doing homeschooling but for children that are homeschooled through the online program even kindergarten kids get a computer with internet access for their school work.  But really i just think it is based on individual circumstances because if you have one computer in the home and it has internet access and you are allowed to use it for schoolwork then that is just fine until you are old enough to buy your own.  

Answer 18

I got my own laptop at Easter, just before exams started (I'm 16) but I had to pay for it myself. Before that I had a computer in my room that didn't have the internet that I had to share with my sister.  I would say that since you seem to have a lot of studying to do you should have a computer if you help to pay towards it as they are very expensive.  You seem very responsible for your age.

Answer 19

When you head off to college

Answer 20

That's about the age I got mine, 13.5 years old. I was closer to 14 though. Then again I go to a very high standers school, so I think its a fine age to get a pc. If its for school.  

Answer 21

yes its too young... you can still use a family computer at that time. i got mine at 15 for my room... and my mom had a rule that she can use it anytime to see what i was doing....  

Answer 22

id say 16 and above 13's way too young

Answer 23

yes it to young they could get on to chat rooms and get in to something you don't know and the next thing you now they are missing.

i say they cn have their own computer when they can buy thier own.

i'm 18

Answer 24

Kids are grwing up fast nowadays....I think it's alright.

Just monitor him closely if he looks suspicious...

Answer 25

Well it depends on the student. I got my first laptop at age 13. Lol and im 14 now (:

Answer 26

If they have dyslexia, then maybe any age really, but otherwise, no.

I'm nearly 13 and I have my own laptop. No one bought it for me, I won it, but if I had the choice, I wouldn't buy one because I amn't fully addicted, but I feel like I'm a 'slave' to it. But I do use it for school work aswell.

Answer 27

i had my very own computer in my room at 5!

lol of course it didn't have internet so all i could do was play games

but i didn't get my first computer with internet on it till i was 9

i have always been spoiled by my daddy so i have never had to share a computer with my lil bro(who is nine and also has his own computer with internet but it does have parental controls on it)

now im 15 and still have my own computer!

Answer 28

I think that it all depends on the child. My child got her first laptop when she was 11, but she is very responsible, so I think that you have to decide for your self. I think that if you think that they need a computer then why not having them earn it by doing chores, or reading a certain amount of books. I think that it all depends on you and the child! I know that I am not helping you that much, but I hope that you follow your best judgment!!

Good Luck!

Answer 29

i think 13 is perfect. that is the age when researching on the internet is a little more needed than usual. and u also have some more friends to email or IM.  

Answer 30

I got my laptop when I was 12 for that same reason. I was one of the last of my friends to get one. (But most of the people I hang out with are really responsible and get lots of stuff anyways.) Lots of them had laptops when they were like 10 years old. I think you should ask your parents once, and then write up a proposal or a powerpoint about it. At first, my parents were against my getting a laptop, but I wrote down the things I'd do on it, how it would help the family, and I looked for good affordable laptops, and offered to pay for part of it myself, and took it as a joint birthday and Christmas gift. My family is glad now. (partly because my brother and I no longer fight over the computer.) You just need to talk it out with your parents, because some might think 13 is too young, while others may think it's just right. A laptop really helps, especially so you can work on homework in any room in the house. I don't know about you, but I type most of my homework, and it is nice to be able to do it in the privacy of my own room without the distraction of my brother playing video games or watching TV. (And I also have the ability to sit on the couch while on the computer, and watching TV at the same time too, which is probably lazy and couch potato-like, but fun!)