Why oh why are people giving their under 12s tablets?

Oh dear, I thought you were talking about the other kind of tablet….💊

I remember when TV would give me square eyes my mother said as she switched it off back in the 60s. Technology has caused issues for a long time.

My girl's Dad got her one when we got a flight so she didn't disturb other passengers on the plane. We never used it apart from when she was sitting on the plane.

We go to restaurants and use public transport without screens. I agree, it's strange kids are so hooked on them. I'm a bit anti-screen too.

DGS is 21mths old. He’s not allowed any screen time. They do FaceTime us when he’s in the room, but he wanders around, doing his own thing and will bob in and out. He can talk in sentences, play by himself, do simple jigsaw puzzles, and sit still while books are read from start to finish. When he’s taken out he has a few toy farm animals or cars to entertain him, and if they go on a long journey one of his parents sits in the back with him. They feel really strongly about him not having access to screens, especially DDIL. He won’t be having any kind of tablet when he’s 4 or 5.

I really hate seeing babies and toddlers with phones and tablets shoved in front of them while they’re in pushchairs. There’s a whole world around them for them to learn about.

Links to some of those studies please.

Wouldn't we rather kids spent their time drawing and looking at books? Are you limiting the time your child spends drawing and looking at books

My dc (now 7 & 12) have never had tablets apart from travelling (in train, plane, in place of tv when we were staying somewhere and they needed downtime). Though I’ve generally not allowed apps/games, it was for watching iplayer or Netflix. Even then it’s a nightmare and I’m glad to shove the thing away when we get home. We don’t generally allow gaming either. They can watch tv or play or I put them outside to run around, even now with my nearly 13 year old.

Secondary age dd though has almost all her homework on apps. They don’t even read books. 😩 It’s all scrolling on an app. Obviously she reads actual books outside of the school ones, but it just depresses me to see her scrolling on her phone to do her reading. I know it’s a financial issue (no money for books that everyone will just lose), but I hope eventually they actually read real books.

That can definitely be possible, my son won't watch TV, never did, couldn't sit down for 2 minutes at a time. Discovered gaming. Could quiet his body as his mind was busy. 10-20 minutes of Minecraft or Mario or other age appropriate strategy games and he can settle himself to focus on other tasks.

If he becomes overwhelmed when at the science centre or a museum a 15 minute reset in their sensory room rolling on the floor gaming and he can keep going, he's able to access educational environments that would otherwise be unthinkable for him.

Although dyslexic he forces himself to improve his reading so he can independently read gaming instructions, that is the motivation that now has him reading roald Dahl books independently.

My autistic nephew used his tablet when preverbal to let my sister his wants and needs and massively reduced his communication frustration.

There are so many positives for neurodivergent children

Also has homework to do via an app.

I can't see a link. Dd suspected adhd and autism. Wouldn't touch a tablet until she turned 6. It's actually been a godsend to us in a lot of ways but we do restrict her on it particularly through the week.

Oh really, I thought it was "What is happening to our young people? They passively ignore their elders, they silently ignore their parents. They remain compliant with the law by default because it hasn't occurred to them to leave their bedrooms. They feel mild annoyance at content they receive on their tablets, but it passes quickly as the next scroll is passed to them"

Edinburgh and Fife have done it so far in West Lothian and we haven’t had them

I’m central Scotland and still not had anything it seems every councils had them except ours lol

Is that Glasgow?,
Because it doesn't happen in Lanarkshire

What was it called, can you remember? Or even better, link to it? I am intrigued as to how a 5 year old would even manage to fit in 30 hours! And if im honest I am also appalled and want to read it in my judgy pants!

lol. I’m quoting the big guy, Plato from 4BC For ever,adults have been bemoaning the decline of childhood and wild youngsters. Back then tablet was a Stone

Oh shush, go judge people's parenting with Kate 🙄

Plato vociferously complained about youngsters in 4BC back in day when tablet was a stone
What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets, inflamed with wild notions

Same here.

There is a difference between screen use and kids having access to social media

All because of adventure novels, all because of video nasties, all because of these videos gaming arcades, all because, all because... All because kids are kids and some adults like yourself think they never needed their bum wiped.

People complained when the world moved on the from slate to paper many years ago. We have to move with the times

Yep, my ND eldest needs to be able to have a break for his brain and focus on something he can control and a 10 minute Minecraft break can ALLOW him to manage a sticker book, a word search book, an activity book, build an entire Lego set etc.hos preference is to be outside and active, access to a screen let's him bear sitting still and not pull his eyebrow hair out or bite his fingers until they bleed.

My youngest is 4 and would take a sticker book, helping with cleaning, bathing her dolls, playing with her dollhouse etc over a screen anyday. When we get in the car for a long journey he'll pack his switch and a notebook and pens so he can play a game then write. she'll pack a little backpack of Sylvanian families Polly pockets and washy tape to make plasters for them all and spend an entire journey giving them health check ups.