Ban iPads & Tablets For Children

[londonmummyof1]

Is it just me, or does the iPad generation bother anyone else?

We went on a family holiday to Spain with my husband and almost 3 year old daughter, and at breakfast, lunch and dinner it’s the same sight - parents bringing out iPads for their preschool children to sit and watch - while eating!?! This is something I have never seen before and I absolutely do not agree with. I think seeing the scale of the problem during this one holiday shows what a problem this is. The thing is, the children aren’t even given the choice of asking for the iPad or to watch a show, it’s just slapped down in front of them and then they are glued. No interaction, just plugged into this simulated world, at the prime time in their life they are developing their language, speech, behaviour and personality - under the age of 5.

We did not bring an iPad for our child on holiday because we wanted to play in the swimming/splash pool, go to the beach etc and we spent such quality time with our child with memories we will keep forever.

This did not happen 20 or even 10 years ago - what did parents do with their children then? God forbid did they COMMUNICATE with their children at the dinner table?

What is happening to this world? Why not have a conversation with your child or bring a sticker book or story book for them to look at if feeding time is difficult. Every parent has been there with challenging mealtimes, but lugging the iPad around during 3 mealtimes, that’s a minimum of 3 hours your child is in a zombie state of mind, you’re starving them of developing their speech and ability to play by themselves and entertain themselves through play.

Do parents understand that too much screen time is extremely damaging to young children and can pave the way to obesity and development issues later in life?

I feel so passionate about this topic, as I’ve even seen some parents putting their children in pushchairs by the swimming pools glued to an iPad, when they could be swimming and having fun with their parents or siblings.

Parenting can be really tough, but somehow I think government intervention is required as this is such a vicious cycle, what future are we preparing our children for???

Simple alternatives to iPad/Tablet entertainment:

Play doh
Stickers
Books
Playing cards
Colouring books
Drawing

Absolutely BAN iPads & Tablets for children.

Marie, there's a bit much for me to point it out. Try Google Scholar and you will find masses.

Icantcope, even one or two pieces of research you felt were particularly compelling? I'd love to see anything at all that shows how under 5's can benefit from iPads.

Tablets have their place on long journeys etc. Tv is the electronic babysitter in the mornings and allows us to get ready for the day.

I agree with no tablets at meals. That's what sticker books are for (if desperate). I think it's a time for catching up and interacting.

Dislike them at the dinner table, but otherwise think there is a time & place for them

@madmomma. Thank you . I'm doing my best and I'm seeing good results. No, I've definitely not been lucky. I've been incredibly unlucky. Luckily, luck isn't everything and hard work and determination can land you good things too. I'm also learning to become musical alongside my child to help spur her on as she will only show willingness if there's an element of competition....a bit like Sea Biscuit, the horse in the film. I'm teaching her everything I know. She's my most important project. Luckily, I like a challenge. Had I bought her all the gadgets other kids were receiving, she would be far more difficult now. I bucked the trend, which wasn't an easy choice given the peer pressure to conform, but I now have no regrets.

Yogurt, sluggish digestive systems and pickles tickled people.... www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-integrationist/201605/socially-anxious-eating-probiotic-rich-foods-can-help It's a fairly new discovery but I don't tend to wait for a peer reviewed paper to be written to give these things a go. The build up of toxins caused by the slow digestive system maybe causes changes in neurological chemicals and the probiotics helps by speeding up the system and kicking out the toxins.

I totally agree with you, OP.

When I did a dissertation on children and technology a few years back even then there was an increasing body of evidence suggesting that, when used properly, it was beneficial to children’s development.

Sirzy, I'd love to hear some of the research. What age groups did you look at?

I presume also, you're talking about useful coding applications taught in schools like Scratch and interactive games to enhance learning.

Off the top of my head, Hutchinson, Crook, Cook, Pitchford have all done relevant research, some longitudinal.

As iPads specifically are relatively new, there isn't masses of research in very young children, which is hopefully what I'll be looking at.

Again though, there's a difference between shoving an iPad at a child for hours on end and actually using one properly for teaching and learning.

Sirzy, that's what I found too. In fact, it was quite exciting - I also looked at gaming as a teaching tool.

Why are tablets referred to as "IPads" all through this thread? (Other brands of tablets are available!) It's like having a thread that "AIBU that children shouldn't travel in BMWs" when everyone is actually referring to cars.

Probably because iPads are what are generically used in schools, so the ones of us who are talking about them in a teaching and learning context are actually talking about iPads, not Android tablets?

I'm yet to teach in a school that uses Android tabs.

Why are tablets referred to as "IPads" all through this thread?

Because we have iPads

HTH

@ICantCopeAnymore

We’ve done some work surrounding gaming as an educative tool. Also involved in a charity that helps people with profound SEN have access to specially modified tech and gaming equipment.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00094056.2013.757490 Quite an interesting piece “myth busting” which brings together quite a few different bits of research.

Ooh, that sounds interesting, Jacques. I'd love some more info if you felt like it?

Sirzy. Thanks, I appreciate you going to the time to pick out one piece of research.

Some of the points in it were interesting, however the home visits involved a small sample size of 24 families and I am always slightly suspect of reporting that involves parents answering questions about their parenting. I'm not sure how honest I would be, for example, if there was a study to do with how many vegetables my daughter eats!

Your never going to be able to do research into use of technology in the home (or pretty much anything else in the home) without relying on parental report though, I doubt many would agree to constant cctv!

@zzzz Is that what I said? Too many people here putting in more effort to nitpick than they put into talking to their kids at the dinner table.

@sirzy Who paid for the research? Often, if you follow the money, you will find the beneficiary of the results is also the benefactor.

Tablets aren’t the issue particularly.
It is the content.
Crap YouTube videos and Instagram aren’t helpful to many people. I personally think Instagram is harmful for teen girls. This is based on just my observations.

I totally agree with you OP. People carry on like they are absolutely essential. However, kids coped fine without them before they were invented. I applaud parents capable of being engaged with their kids, teaching them boundaries and training them to eat at the dinner table without a tablet or parents mobile.