A lot of the computer stuff has benefited animation more than any other art form. Special effects, for example, are linked to animation even more now that there is more cross-over between tools. There are still people doing animation by drawing on paper, which is a wonderful and more beautiful way to make animation. But, the computer has opened up new ways of working. It's less expensive, for example.
Computers are both exciting and frustrating because they require a lot of learning time.
This way you learn the principals behind animation. There are things like timing that if you learn it on the computer you don't learn the sensitivity to movement that you would if you were to start out on paper. Same with lighting, motion and staging. 3-D animation programs will set these things up as defaults. The most effective way of using the computer is to adapt it to your own use.