ABSTRACT
In homes across much of the developed world, young people are growing up with computers. In living rooms, bedrooms, hallways and landings, computers are an increasingly familiar sight in the public and private spaces of the home. Major government initiatives around the globe see millions poured into initiatives to ensure children learn to use computers in schools. At the same time, the home is increasingly seen as a site for learning with technologies as parents and children are bombarded with advertisements urging them to buy home computers. The debate surrounding young people's use of computers takes many forms: there are articles in daily newspapers on children's safety, political initiatives concerning education and the economy as well as highly theoretical discussions on, for example, the changing nature of existence in a digital world. Research in cultural studies is also useful in that it alerts people to the fact that the computer is a 'consumer good'.
