Young Children with Access to iPads

Do you ever see kids with iPads in their hands and wonder, how can they have an iPad when I don't even have one? Some parents believe that introducing their kids to the iPad is just another way to get them ready for the ever-changing advances in today's world of technology, along with possibly exposing it as an educational tool. Other parents shun the idea of allowing young children get their hands on an iPad due to the popular idea that technology creates addiction and may encourage inactivity.

According to a study done by Common Sense Media in 2011, 52% of kids under the age of eight had access to devices at home that ranged from iPads, iPods, and smartphones. These statistics can be alarming for some parents, but keep in mind that this study was done in the United States with a small population sample of about 1,400 people. The most interesting and informative article I have found upon the topic of young children with iPads was by Psychology Today, which went over key points as to how using the iPad may be negatively affecting cognitive and sensory stimulation in young children.

Here are some of the key take-away points discussed in the article:

• The moving screen attracts attention, but it is passive attention - solely watching it.
• Like the iPad, screens give very limited sensory information compared to all the senses that the children could be experiencing playing with toys.
• Screens are two-dimensional and do not require children to create three-dimensional worlds.
• Staring at screens can lead to lack of sunlight and damage to the development of the eyes.  

After reading these key ideas, many of you may start seeing the logic behind this argument.

From personal experience of visiting my nephews and niece, I can tell that the iPad among young children have a growing popularity. During many visits, the first thing I see when I step inside their home is iPads in the hands of young children who have their eyes glued intensely onto the screen. They are sitting together, but are in their individual worlds within each of their iPads. Even though their parents monitor their time on the iPad, there are still many cons to spending time with an iPad. Sure, they know how to operate one better than I do, but once the iPad runs out of battery, they end up turning on other game consoles or tuning to their favorite channel on the TV. For now, I would personally say that it is better to keep young children away from electronics, such as the iPad, iPod, and smartphones. It may help them in the future to start using it in moderation when they are older than the age of eight or so.