ABSTRACT
In 1998, the Screenplay survey reported that 83 percent of children were using computers outside school and the Pathfinder survey reported that, in 2000, 88 percent of secondary children and 83 percent of primary children were using computers outside school. Internet access is similarly substantially higher amongst this age group than amongst the wider population, and seems to be increasing at a fast rate. Home computer ownership is, however, patterned according to socio-economic status. In terms of gender, there is little reliable evidence to suggest major differences in home computer ownership, although the Interactive survey does indicate that boys are more likely than girls to report having their 'own' computers. The home computer is essentially a multi-purpose tool which can be used for a very wide range of activities, from writing, to designing, to programming, to communicating with others, to games play, to looking up information.
