過早讓小孩接觸網路是好是壞，一直是父母與學校所關心的議題。從犯罪學理論出發，發展犯罪學認為，年齡與犯罪有相當重要的關係，愈早犯罪者，將來的犯行愈多、愈嚴重；然而，這樣的理論，是否適用於第一次接觸網路的年齡與網路沉迷，值得研究。本研究透過二手資料分析，分析侯崇文與周愫嫻於2007 年到2008 年針對桃園縣2,864 名國中生所進行之網路使用行為所進行之調查。在控制相關的影響因素，如性別、成績、家庭社經地位及交友狀況後，本研究發現接觸網路的早晚，與網路沉迷之間仍呈現顯著的關聯性，亦即，越早接觸網路者，較容易成為網路沉迷者。然而本研究亦發現，若故意延後青少年接觸網路的時間（小五以後接觸網路），也可能因為青少年對於網路的好奇，而影響其作息。「執兩用中」！過早或太晚對桃園縣青少年第一次接觸網路的時間點來說，都不見得比一般正常接觸網路的學生來的好。因此，本研究建議，對於青少年第一次接觸網路的時間，應配合學校的教育，在學校教導相關知識後，再讓子女上網。

In 2007 and 2008, Hou and Jou collected data on Internet usage by 2,864
Tao-Yuan County (Taiwan) junior high school students. This paper reanalyses their data and finds that the earlier that students first use the Internet, the greater the possibility that they will become Internet addicted. Even when the variables that might be highly correlated with Internet addiction－ such as sex, academic scores,family social economic statues, influence of peers－ are controlled, the variable of age of first use＇of the Internet remains highly correlated with Internet addiction.
Nonetheless, the data also show that if a student’s first use of the Internet occurs after grade 5 on average, there will be negative consequences for the student. That is,whether first use of the Internet was at a young age or later in adolescence there were negative
consequences in the sample of students analysed. This paper suggests
that parents should not force their children to use the Internet at a young age out of a fear that their children might fall behind other students. On the other hand, it is also not good to postpone deliberately a child’s first use of the Internet. The right time for a child to use the Internet is after he/she has learnt about the Internet at school, that
is, in a formal educational environment.