10 Ways an iPad Will Impact Your Kid's Development

In a world where parents want to provide their children with every possible advantage to succeed in today's competitive world, giving kids access to computer tablets like iPads at an early age is an increasingly common choice. After all, it only makes sense that early exposure will help our children become computer literate and thus more successful, right? No. It turns out there is increasing evidence that allowing kids access to computer tablets at an early age may be counterproductive. Instead, it is the children who are permitted to spend less 'screen time' and more time at creative play with others — such as making things with their own hands — who seem to do better at learning the creative, cognitive, and social skills necessary for success later in life.

Screen Time for Kids Starts Early, Increases with Age

Today's generation of young parents — now in their mid-thirties and younger — are the first wave of "Digital Natives" who grew up using computer technology since childhood. Perhaps that's why they are increasingly comfortable incorporating screen-based technology as part of day-to-day parenting.

Here are some examples which may be familiar to you:

• Taking a long road trip and the kids are cranky? Pop in a DVD and the kids sitting in the back can watch it from multiple screens built into the headrests of the family minivan.

• Your newborn to toddler age child is restless and won't stop crying? Put him or her in a bouncy seat with a specially built-in frame designed to hold an iPad device. It's the perfect babysitter.*

Is screen technology really the perfect babysitter?

The Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood (CCFC) has been concerned about the increasing number of hours that today's kids spend in front of screens (http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/screendilemma). The organization has collected research that indicates:

Age Group - Hours of Screen Time
(According to Different Studies)
2 to 5 years olds 2.2 hours per day
Pre-Schoolers 4.1 – 4.6 hours per day
8 to 18 years olds 7.5 hours per day

Other research studies indicate that nearly 30% of infants under 12 months are already watching TV and videos for 90 minutes a day on average. By the time these children are two, 64% are of them watching TV and videos for slightly more than two hours a day.

Worryingly, when young kids start using computer tablets like iPads, time spent watching TV and videos remains unaffected. In other words, using computer tablets like iPads doesn't seem to cut down on time spent watching TV and videos; it actually increases the overall number of hours kids are watching screens each day.

*In 2013, CCFC launched a campaign directed at Apple to discontinue their licensing agreement Fisher-Price's Newborn-to-Toddler Apptivity™ Seat for iPad® Device.

10 Reasons to Put Away Computer Tablets Like iPads When It Comes to Child Development
Parents should be concerned about the following research compiled by the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood when allowing their children to use computer tablets such as iPads:

1 No Screen Time for Kids Two and Under
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children under two do not have access to screens at all. They also recommend no more than 1 to 2 hours of screen time a day for kids three and up. (American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media 2010)

2 Computer Tablets Can Cause Sleep Issues
Studies indicate children who did not use computer tablets were able to fall asleep faster and sleep longer with fewer problems than those children who used tablets. Proper sleep is crucial for mental development and cognitive learning; it also appears to help reduce the risk of weight gain and diabetes.

3 School Performance and Social Behavior
Researchers have found children who do not use computer tablets perform better in school, with increased learning and attention and fewer social problems.

4 Rates of Physical Exercise
Children who do not use computer tablets get more exercise, which is crucial for physical development and mental well-being.

5 Better Nutrition
Children who are not allowed access to computer tablets have been found to have better eating habits. Proper nutrition is critical for child development.

6 Life Long Habits
Research indicates that those children who do not use computer video games exhibit higher rates of curiosity than those children who form attachments to passive video games — and these habits last into adulthood.

7 Exposure to Violent, Sexualized Content
Exposure to violent sexualized content found in many computer games and videos is associated with poor academic performance in school.

8 Positive Influence of Adults
Children who had limited access to computer screens appeared to have more time for creative play with family members and caring adults.

9 Reading Comprehension
Studies indicate that illustrated digital e-books interfere with story understanding and reading comprehension.

10 Play is Necessary for Development
Researchers have concluded that passive screen watching is not a substitute for play in children, which in turn is a critical tool for mental and social development.

Are There Better Alternatives than Tablets for Your Child's Mental and Social Development?

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This release was published on openPR.