This week's readings: Eureka Part 2!

Citation
Baumgarten, M. (2003). Kids and the internet: a developmental summary. Computers in Entertainment (CIE), 1(1), 11-11.

Summary
Baumgarten’s article aims to help those developing programs on the Internet for children by examining their different psychological developmental stages. His analysis is categorized by age, ranging from preschoolers, to young childhood, up to those in their “tweens”. At each age, the author expounds on all changes children at each age are experiencing, including the physical and how this affects their reaction to certain objects. He then offers a more specific focus on how these processes affect web page and online game design, such as ensuring pre-teens are engaging in a higher level of challenge and that suitable content is selected that they may discuss with their peers.

Comments and Relevance
While not specific to children or adults, this article provides some fascinating insights into the development of human beings and how this affects their ability and susceptibility with regards to technology. The suggested design approaches all map perfectly well to the aforementioned theories, with excellent justification as to why. The only thing lacking is a practical implementation of these theories, which is strange as it sets out with a design intent. While it is a research article, many of its sources are medical books and journals, somewhat lessening its authority.

This article is highly relevant, with many trends able to be seen that may have serious implications for the interaction experience of adults. A key trend across all age groups is that people enjoy games and websites that enable them to learn and grow; a trend worth examining in older game players. While lacking in physical implementation, this article provides a useful approach for determining the full psychological impact of games on adults.