Five-year-old AJ Buono helps his grandmother find recipes on the Internet.

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'I type into the white box on the Google page, and I press 'Enter'. After that, you can see a whole list of recipes,' said the preschooler, the son of an American expatriate in Singapore.

AJ started using the computer about a year ago. His brother, Daniel, seven, started when he was about AJ's age. The two boys use the Internet to watch videos on YouTube, play online games and do their schoolwork.

Their mum, Juliana, 36, a homemaker, said: 'They sometimes re-watch some cartoons on YouTube and watch the videos of the American Idol contestants. They also use Wikipedia and Google.

'For example, they are now learning about the United States President, so they use Wikipedia for more information.'

However, she and her husband Chris, 35, a senior manager, monitor them.

The boys have to ask for permission to use the computer, and usage does not exceed an hour a day. The computer is also in the parents' bedroom.

Mr Buono said: 'They are curious, but they are not at that age where they are looking for trouble.'

Mrs Buono felt that it is good that the boys are computer-savvy at a young age, as it is a good exposure.

But Mr Buono added: 'There is a concern that as they grow older, they can get addicted.

'While it's important to be computer-savvy, because it's not something that's going to go away, parents have to impose some restrictions, and the boys must exercise some self-control.'

Teo Wan Gek

This article was first published in The Straits Times.