A study in Washington reported that students with home computers students are found to fetch lower scores once these technologies arrive at home. The responses to computer-use questions included on North Carolina's mandated End-of-Grade tests (EOGs) were analsyed by Jacob Vigdor and Helen Ladd, professors at the Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy.
Students reported how frequently they use a home computer for schoolwork, watch television or read for pleasure. The study was conducted between 2000 and 2005, a period when home computers and high-speed Internet access expanded dramatically. The sample size numbered more than 1,50,000 students. The data allowed researchers to compare the same student's reading and math scores before and after acquiring a home computer. It was reported that kids in the middle grades were mostly using computers to socialise and play games. It was concluded that home computers were put to a more productive use in housleholds were parental monitoring was more effective.
