This entry examines the implications of computers and the Internet for youth development. The term computers is used broadly to include a range of interactive digital technologies, such as desktops, laptops, and tablet computers, as well as computer games and smartphones. Similarly, the term Internet is used to refer to a range of online environments, including the World Wide Web, messaging applications such as Google’s Hangouts, WhatsApp, and text messaging, and social media applications such as Facebook and Instagram.

[Page 425]The entry begins by describing the prevalence of computers and the Internet and notes that they should be considered a developmental context given their central presence in young people’s lives. Then it examines the developmental implications of computer and Internet use during infancy and childhood as ...