Paints and paper are also an abstract technology, and time spend working on paper takes kids away from walking and other physical, outdoor experiences. Obviously it can go too far, but most of us feel that painting and drawing and writing and reading have become part of the appropriate mix of experiences for children in our culture.

Computers are no different. I do make sure my toddler spends almost all her time away from glowing screens, but I also remember that I first really got into computers over twenty years ago by spending hours with MacPaint. My daughter is growing up in a world where her parents work all day on computers, play on computers, and talk to friends and family through computers. She's going to be influenced by that, and I'd like it to be as an active participant and not just an observer.

The existence of computers, and increasingly realistic behavior of hardware and software, does not deprive anyone of anything. Rather, raising children entirely on Surface and TV, or with no technology at all, leaves them ill-prepared for the real world.

I'm hoping to expose my children to all kinds of technology. I hope they come away from these experiences with the same sense of wonder and awe as I do. But I'm still planning on cleaning finger paint off the walls.