Children and technology

[Leftridge1823]

My 2 year old has recently become consumed in his tablet. I feel as though he is not getting enough play time. What age do you think a child should be to be able to have a table? I feel as though he is to young, but it really helps when the schedule is not. Please feel free to leave feed back.

[Shokhrukh]

I am old fasioned guy and belive that real life games develop children better compared to computer or tablet games, so I would not allow my child stick with tablet too much and from young age. It is better to play a ball or something like that.

[MysticalMagic]

I can definitely relate to this topic as I have a young child too who is very fond of his tablet. With society and technology being as advanced as it is today, it's hard to really pinpoint when you should let your child use a tablet. It really is a decision that a parent would have to make based on what they think is best for their own child.

My child began using a tablet at 3 years old. However, there are companies out there that understand a parent's concern for internet safety and young children so they specifically designed a tablet just for kids. There are various technology companies putting out there own version of kid-friendly tablets that offer learning games and educational content, which I think is amazing. You can allow your child to learn how to utilize technology at an early age. They're going to learn it regardless because it has become an integral part of human culture. However, children still need physical interaction with other children and they need to learn to use imagination and play outdoors so moderation is very important.

As long as you are ensuring the safety and appropriateness of the content your child is viewing and allowing them to use it in moderation then whatever age you decide is perfectly fine!

[Terah]

My two boys love the tablet. And the pc. And anything that shows moving pictures and makes sound  
I believe it is very important in this day and age to be familiar with technology. They will need it at school, and later at work. That being said, I believe it is even more important for them to play. I limit screen time. They are allowed to have screen time while I cook. And in the weekend they are allowed to go downstairs at 7 am to play at the computer or watch shows, so we can sleep in a bit.
Sometimes when I have a lot of work and they are tired they can have some extra screen time, but that doesn't happen often.

You need to find a good balance. Determine how much screen time is acceptable for you, and stick to it. Explain to your son that he get X minutes of screen time and that's it. Put the tablet out of sight when screen time is over, that way the chances of him asking for it are a lot smaller. 

[ElderflowerFizz]

This is an important issue to think about. The use of tablets, mobile phone's, etc, have been found to have quite a significant impact on how children's minds develop, and studies have found links between mobile phone use and depression in older children/teens. There have also been studies that suggest small children may be more susceptible to mobile phone radiation, and the general advice from many governments and health organisations is that children should only use mobile phones when absolutely necessary. I imagine the same advice would be applicable to tablet use. So I would be cautious of letting little ones use these devices too much, if at all. Maybe it would be helpful to read the manufacturers advice and guidelines? They may say something about letting children use the device. 

[Snjofalladrifa]

When I see people use technology to calm a child down when it is having a tantrum or showing any other negative emotion I worry that the child isn't getting the opportunity to learn how to process these negative emotions, they just get a distraction and when they are older they won't know how to properly deal with these emotions.

I don't believe technology is bad for children though, as long as there are rules and parents monitor what the child is doing/seeing on these devices. It can also be a helpful learning tool, but so is playing without technology so I think it would be best to try and find some kind of balance.

[btcguru81]

The "when is too young, too young?" argument has been hashed out too many times to count. The best answer I have ever heard is "when they are too young.". There's no magic age at which a person is ready for anything. It's all based on personal maturity. Where technology is concerned, I find it of use to let them use it as a tool to explore their world with some practical limits. I don't allow them unfettered access to any online services. The tablets go away during dinner time and are handed over to me or the wife before bedtime. If I see they've been a little too sedentary I put them up for a while and engage them with some fun games to play which get them moving. There are no blanket answers and parenting is about negotiating scenarios as they come.

[NeilTarquin]

Kids and technologies these days are like twins, they are inseparable. Especially toddlers who's type of play is parallel playing, they can actually burn the day just by playing with gadgets. We cannot stop this, eventually they will use these device one way or the other. As an adult, we should be the one who must set bounderies while their still young and managable. Providing them schedules to play and to use their device would gain win win situation. 

[Mirella]

Two years old is definitely too young to be hooked into tablets. It is fine if kids are given only a certain period of time per day to use the tablet or cp or computer but there should be a limit. Slowly, make them be in touch with other aspects they must have left out like playing with other kids or spending time with you and the family.

Technology should be used to bride gaps not make them.