You may notice that many kids are seen holding an iPad or smartphone in their chubby little hands while their parents are busy. How does it make you feel? Personally, it makes me cringe. This is fine in moderation, and honestly it is not much different from a Game Boy, which I played with as a kid. It's important to note though that my friends and I were around age 8 when we were playing with our Game Boys. Nowadays they have baby seats, even baby potties, with built-in iPad holders. First of all, why would you want an iPad near a toilet? Every time they go potty, babies are going to be staring into a glowing screen of death, which will soon devour their souls. OK, maybe not that extreme, but come on. Sounds pretty unsanitary, too. The users of electronics are getting younger and younger, and I suppose only time will tell if this is a good or bad idea.
According to Jean Piaget's developmental theory, for the first two years of an infant’s life, they only know the world through their five senses. It varies with each kid, but usually by age 2 they are able to use language and other symbols. This is also when they start to use their imagination. Between ages 7 and 11, children are able to see connections in their everyday life and attach more than one symbol to things. At about age 12, kids are able to think abstractly and critically. Kids of all ages should be actively exploring and interacting with the world around them most of the day, instead of being sedentary and looking at a screen. Introducing iPads too early on and using them too frequently can confuse developing minds or interfere with the natural course of human development.
Smartphones are still pretty new and it’s too early to determine whether or not introducing kids to technology at an early age is beneficial or detrimental to their mental and emotional development. iPads were invented in 2010, so the kids young enough to have access to these devices since a very early age are still very young. I am biased because I grew up playing outside in nature and believe that that is a more fulfilling way to learn and have fun. But not everything about the iPads and smartphones is bad. They really open up the world of a deeper education -- but everything is better in moderation.
Some of the beneficial apps available for young kids on their journey of education are interactive books. This is a good idea, but it would be better if the parent or whoever was looking after the child using the app with them rather than letting the iPad replace a parent or guardian figure. You probably wouldn't want it to be solely a human-and-machine interaction -- unless you're raising a robot, android, or cyborg. In apps like these, children are presented with choices (to read with help or on their own) just like in real-life decisions, which is a plus.
Most of the time, kids should be going outside learning in the real world, not sitting and staring at a screen. Young children especially need social interaction, and handing a child an iPad and having them play with it for hours on end in an effort to keep them from bothering you or getting into trouble has almost the same effect as being isolated from other humans. In the iPad games, there could be simulations of other people or animals, but interaction is limited.
If a parent notices their child has been on an iPad for a while, suggesting they do something else, like going outside, would help them to avoid getting addicted to the screen. If there were other kids around, playing with them would be better for them because they are getting more social experiences, and are able to learn how to interact with other humans.
When babies are given an iPad to keep them from crying or complaining or getting into mischief, instead of a face-to-face interaction with their parents or guardians, this is where there is a serious problem. This is a questionable method of parenting because it is ignoring and not addressing the problem in a constructive way. iPads and smartphones do not and should not replace real-life situational learning and interactions with other humans. Kids, especially young children, need human interaction nearly all the time. Isolation for a long period of time can be extremely detrimental to an individual's mental and social development.
A friend of mine said she was going to be a nanny over the summer, and one of the moms told her to just give her 3-year-old kid his iPad and he’ll be good for hours. She was shocked and definitely did not want to do that to the poor kid. While the iPad has many educational and engaging games, they still need to use the iPad or smartphone in moderation. When a child's eyes are glued to a screen, they might miss out on real things, like looking at cool bugs in the grass. Also, when they don’t have something telling them what to do, (which is the case in most of the educational games), they are forced to find other ways to occupy themselves and have fun, such as using their imagination. And that can open up entirely new worlds for the child's mind.
In a study with kids comparing how they play with iPads and with each other, siblings argued more without the iPads and smartphones. Since arguments are an everyday occurrence, it is an important way to teach problem solving and getting along with others. The video below, published in 2013, shows this study and others.
As you can see in this video, when the children are playing games on their iPads, they are completely absorbed into the game. This can be a sign of a good attention; however, they are being disconnected from their surroundings, which is bad if it becomes habit. When the iPads were taken away, they interacted with each other and engaged in imaginative games. I remember playing with my friends as a kid, and we would usually play games that we made up, or pretend we were superheroes. I'm glad we did this instead of playing with iPads all day. These interactive electronic games require a great deal of thinking, which certainly stimulates the mind; however, they should by no means replace or get in the way of imaginative play and social engagement. Here is another video from 2014 that really touches on some important aspects of this issue.
Overall, it is up to the parent whether or not to give their tiny tot an iPad. If they want the best for their child, though, they'd best not neglect to include other needs that are crucial to a toddler's development as a human.
