My 5-year-old son has developed an intense fascination with the iPad. I’ve loaded it with a few games, but his favorite feature is the voice dictation tool. He articulates his thoughts into the microphone, and the iPad transforms his words into text: “I am could you please type that could you please type out I am a pirate.” His requests for the iPad are relentless; he absolutely loves it. In hindsight, I sometimes wish I had never introduced it to him.
Now my 2-year-old has also discovered the allure of the iPad, viewing it as a wonderful yet elusive treasure. He snatches it up whenever we leave it unattended, and he’s already mastered the swipe gesture to unlock it.
It’s common knowledge that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advised against any screen time for children under 2 and recommended limiting it to two hours daily for kids over 2—until recently. What I didn’t realize is that these guidelines were established before interactive apps became widespread, particularly for very young children. So, could interactive applications actually be more beneficial than just passive viewing? I hope so.
Every time I hand my phone or the iPad to my child, I feel a twinge of guilt. This is usually because I’m preoccupied with tasks—like dealing with paperwork at the DMV or getting a skin check at the dermatologist—that aren’t exactly kid-friendly. The iPad has been my saving grace on these occasions, and I can only hope it doesn’t cause too much harm.
However, the guilt lingers. Research into the impact of different types of screen time on children is still in its early stages. Is watching “Sesame Street” more beneficial than engaging with an interactive app? As journalist Sarah Jennings notes in her article for Tech Talk, this field of study is still developing. The reasons include the rapid evolution of interactive apps, the challenge of designing lab studies that accurately mimic real-world scenarios, and the difficulty of recruiting child participants. Busy parents often hesitate to bring their kids into labs for research purposes.
Nevertheless, Dr. Laura Thompson, an assistant professor in the Department of Child Development at the University of California, is delving into these questions.
To understand why iPads captivate young children even more than television, it’s essential to recognize their innate love for “contingency.” For instance, if a child throws toys on the floor and sees a parent pick them up, they find it amusing and continue the behavior. Interactive software amplifies this concept. When they swipe and the iPad responds or tap an app and it opens, they are utterly fascinated.
Dr. Thompson’s research examines whether this sense of contingency aids in learning more than traditional viewing. Her findings indicate that for toddlers as young as 2 years old, engaging with apps can enhance their learning. However, for children 30 months and older, there’s little difference between learning from a video and an interactive program. Jennings writes: “This finding has significant implications. Encouraging kids to actively engage with screens may mitigate the well-known video deficiency effect. Perhaps children under two can indeed learn from screens after all.”
That said, Dr. Thompson emphasizes the caveats. Lab studies may not reflect real-world applications, and some apps might be captivating without providing real educational value. We might unintentionally choose apps that are either too simple or too complex, diminishing their effectiveness. Overall, children benefit most from in-person interactions, so experts advise that parents should supervise their kids’ technology use instead of relying on it as a digital babysitter. Jennings concludes: “A tablet should be a tool for enhancing interaction with your child, not a substitute for it.”
Okay, but this doesn’t resolve the scenarios where I need my children occupied, like during a visit to the dermatologist or while completing paperwork at the DMV. I suppose my best strategy is to thoroughly research suitable apps for my kids and use them wisely. It’s reassuring to know that not all screen time is created equal, and when I truly need a moment to breathe—well, there’s an app for that.
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In summary, while the iPad has its pros and cons when it comes to children’s development, it’s crucial to ensure that its use is monitored and purposeful. Engaging with technology can indeed be beneficial, but it should complement, not replace, meaningful interactions.
Keyphrase: iPad for kids
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