WARM-UPS. Children into computers younger than ever

THE ARTICLE

Children into computers younger than ever

Task 6

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - b

2 - c

3 - a

4 - d

5 - c

6 - b

7 - a

8 - c

9 - d

10 - a

11 - b

12 - c

Children are using and owning consumer electronics from a younger age than ever before, according to US market researcher NPD. Its research shows the average age at which children begin using computers, games and other electronic gadgets has declined from 8.1 years in 2005 to 6.7 years in 2007. The NPD report, “Kids and Consumer Electronics Trends III”, says the youngest consumers are also getting choosy about what they buy. More and more young children now own a DVD player, portable video game, digital camera or cell phone. NPD’s Anita Frazier said: “Kids are drawn to the latest and greatest digital devices just as their parents are.” She added: “They appear to have no fear of technology and adopt it easily and without fanfare, making these devices a part of their everyday lives.”

The study is based on data collected via an online survey to a sample of American adults aged 25 and older who had children aged between four and fourteen. The survey also found that kids use electronic devices an average of three days per week. Surprisingly, many of the families surveyed were not regular consumer electronics buyers. Almost 25 percent of parents surveyed said they had made no electronics purchases during the previous 12 months. Father of two Robert Garside, 38, said he was amazed at what his children want to buy. He admits to often having to ask his nine-year-old how to operate his Sony PlayStation. “Children nowadays are so tech savvy that soon Sony will bring out a PlayStation for babies,” he said. His son Robert Junior said all the gadgets around him really were child’s play.

1. CONSUMER ELECTRONICS: Walk around the class and talk to other students about consumer electronics and children. Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your original partner(s) and share what you found out.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

children / market research / computers / trends / DVD players / parents / fear / data / online surveys / averages / consumers / instructions / child’s play

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. GADGETS: With your partner(s), decide which of these gadgets are most important to you. Rank them from first to last. Change partners and share your findings.

television computer cell phone games machine

music player electronic dictionary digital camera other ___________________

4. SAVVY KIDS: What are your feelings about children doing the following: Rank them: 10 = “No problem”; 1 = “No way”.

surfing the Internet having their own mobile phone driving a car cooking burgers in McDonald’s

taking out loans travelling around the world policing other children other ______________________

5. KIDS VS. ADULTS: Brainstorm a list of things kids seem to be able to do better than adults. Discuss the reasons why. Change partners and share your dangers.

6. ELECTRONICS: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with electronics. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

7. QUICK DEBATE: Students A strongly believe children should not play video games until they are ten; Students B think children can play video games from any age. Change partners often. When you have finished, share your findings.

Дата добавления: 2015-01-03