There is a notion in the US that parents should buy a computer for their children in the early stages of development, according to anthropologist Genevieve Bell. "The earlier you expose the child to computing, the better that would be for said child," she says.
But, she adds, this is a culturally-specific approach. In China, parents believe the opposite. They want their children to learn Mandarin, and a PC is regarded as a distraction, because it provides uncontrollable access to the internet.
