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

I'm really interested to know what unlimited means for you?

Short videos are the worst of the worst. That’s where the focus should be on in terms of legislation.

If the internet generally is like alcohol which isn’t particularly great but most people can manage their use generally, then social media is like nicotine, and TikTok and other short video providers are heroine.

How has that worked out for you practically speaking? How much does he/she generally watch?

Brain’s don’t stop developing till their 20s. Screens are also extremely harmful for teenagers IMO. You hardly ever see teenagers just conversing without a phone or two being passed around anymore.

For every bit of "research" stating it's bad for them is research stating it's a benefit

To be blanket stating that screen use is down to increase in behaviour and anxiety is absolutely ridiculous, the research in to behaviour problems mental health and neuro diversity increases constantly and you have said it yourself there has not been enough time to truly recognise benefits or harm as the children are not adults yet and there is no way to properly and scientifically analyse the data

I also feel you are entitled to your own thoughts but there are much nicer and supportive and mature ways to voice these than sounding off shaming parents online

And before you say it my children are late teens and have never had a tablet and only got phones in high school and phones are not permitted in bedrooms or family room or lounge in our house

Because things just aren’t this black and white maybe? My 4 yr old has her to watch a couple of episodes or play a game in bed with us in the morning which buys me coffee time and eases them into the day. My 8 yr old uses theirs for games and downloading books - again for a bit in the morning. Sometimes after school for half an hour. Tablets are not inherently bad if they’re well supervised and used in moderation. Yes - allowing a child unfettered access from morning to night is not great but IME the more we say absolutely not the more you make it the shiny thing that they become obsessed with as soon as their old enough that you can’t control everything. I think it’s preferable to teach them skills to manage tech while they’re younger and we still have some control. Tech isn’t going away!

We had computes and TV in the 80’s so it’s not as if we didn’t spend time in front screens! Remember Game Boys and the like? I think people are quick to forget. Think of the interactive type games for young children, it’s not really different to a big plastic interactive toy with flashing lights is it?

Times have changed and to make out all tablet devices = bad is ridiculous. Any decent parent knows to limit their child’s time. Educational games can help bring children on so everything in moderation like everything else in life

Because it’s up to parents to decide what’s best for their children and not judgemental randoms online?

Being responsible for a 4 year old out and about in town while your parents have a coffee date is a lot to ask for many ten year olds. It could absolutely be parentification if it happens regularly I have an almost 3 yo and would never let my 11 yo nephew have sole responsibility for him out in the community where I couldn't see them, nor do I think he'd be equipped for that. 16 is the age recommended for babysitting duties. However, not what this thread is about so no point derailing.

Because I'm a developmental psychologist and actually understand how to read studies...

My 2yr old has had unlimited screen time since birth

Umm not true!

It’s not the IPad it’s the person controlling the use of the iPads. My kids have iPads. Older ones barely go on them now - mainly use them for flights on holiday to watch films. They do game on PS5 - mainly FIFA with friends . Only once they’ve done homework and they do sport almost every night after school. They prefer it to watching TV for a an hour and I really don’t see what’s wrong with that. Youngest who is 5 has one and again mainly used on long journeys, we go away a lot. Never used at home. We watch tv series and films with him but at home he’ll play with his toys. If we go out for dinner (again on holiday when you’re out for dinner every night) I admit he has used it in the past but now he’s old enough we play UNO etc with him. Watching toddlers on phones whilst in buggies is so sad I agree. When mine were that young they enjoyed just taking it what was going on around them and chatting to me so I do get it. But it’s not screens themselves. It’s parents not controlling their use. My kids enjoy screen time but prefer to play with friends / toys / play sports so I don’t think I’ve failed them by letting them have them when young.

No, that is spot on the reason.

🤣

Because people use them as a babysitter … rather than entertain their own children they would
rather shove them a tablet.

I am a bit confused by this. Would removal of tv cause more disruption? Most families that I know don’t have one now.
Where have you found the statistics about behavioural issues and developmental delay? What makes you think it is more to do with tablets than the breakdown of traditional family values? Is it that there is worsening or just that there is more diagnosis/documentation? Many confounding factors

I don’t think the homework part is an issue, it’s all the other time they spend on that or a phone. And totally not the same as tv, different rays, they hold it near their face and stare, sometimes at fast moving images that are extremely bright. Horrendous when you think of it. It’s a battle here, worst thing we ever did was introduce screens in, albeit at a later age- we were dumb enough to buy 10yo at old one last year

Like anything they are fine in moderation, great for learning, the issue is that some parents don't moderate the usage.

@Lavender14
keeping one eye out for a younger sibling in a play situation is not being ‘parentified’ it’s bloody normal. It’s actually how we humans learn nurturing skills thinking about it…it’s normal.

This is a very big responsibility to put on a 10 year old. Nspcc recommends children don't start babysitting until 16. The issue is how a 10 year old would be able to manage if a crisis situation arose.

Obviously there's cultural differences to this and there's a wide range of maturity across a group of 10 year olds, but I think there's a careful balance to be had between being a good big brother/ sister and becoming parentified.

Oh okay, erm I’m mean firstly thanks for the awful scene you just created in my head.

In answer to your ridiculously irrelevant question in terms of this thread: The dog = the owner of the dog.

With their 6 and 10 yr old siblings, also without adult supervision or I imagine a phone to let them contact you because they've never witnessed a screen. You don't see the laziness and neglect of leaving a 10 yr old in charge of your 4 yr old?

Again, while you're in a cafe, where are they running off to exactly?

With their older sibling/s and with clear rules*

It was normal as was high child mortality from accidents and injury

Also you're correct you said it was lazy. Stated it's lazy to give a child a tablet so you can enjoy a meal. Yet you apparently let a 4 yr old run off unsupervised while you sit in a cage unconcerned which is absolutely lazy, neglectful and not too bright.

I didn't say it was neglectful, I said that it's well documented that such devices have negative impact on child development, they aren't needed and I personally don't allow my children to use them and would encourage other parents to do the same. I do allow my children, within age appropriate limits, to play out and encourage as much time outdoors as possible. This was completely normal in all of history until about three decades ago and the documented benefits outweigh the risks in my view. These last few generations of children are sick and miserable and it's no mystery why.