AMSTERDAM (AP)

Father may know best after all - at least when it comes to computers.

According to a survey of Dutch teenage computer users and their parents, the link between youth and skill is overstated.

The survey found that while teenage boys and girls were better than their parents at some technical tasks like rotating images, the generation gap was small in tasks that everyone does frequently, such as using a search engine.

And when it comes to more complicated tasks such as installing an operating system, using and updating anti virus software, and installing hard drives, fathers come out on top.

Marion Duimel, who co-authored the study for the Netherlands' Bureau for Social and Cultural Planning, said children's reputation for computer skills was based on the fact that they are faster at navigating menus and clicking; that they spend more time overall online; and that they are able to integrate various technologies - mobile phone calling and text messaging, email and instant messaging - seamlessly into their lives.

"Youth on the internet are primarily concerned with communication and entertainment, whereas older internet users are more focused on practical matters such as searching for information or financial transactions," Duimel said.

Nearly all teenagers use instant messaging programs, while few parents use them well. On the other hand "few teenagers understand how to do online banking," she said.

She said 98 per cent of Dutch families with teenagers have a computer with an internet connection at home.

The survey, funded by the Economics Ministry, was conducted among 1,561 teenagers and 1,080 of their parents during 2005 and 2006.

Fathers are more likely to fix hardware problems, while children were more likely to explain to other members of the family how something works, the study showed. Boys scored highest in most categories, but girls were better in text editing and using text and images together.

Mothers scored lowest in most categories - and were also least likely to use computers.

"It's not something that we see as a problem, for the most part: it's just an observation we've made," Duimel said.

"In the old days, fathers were also often the ones who would program a VCR."

Younger readers: VCR stands for 'video cassette recorder'.
19/03/2007 10:07:50 AM