To not understand why anyone would buy these for a child (tech related)

[Gheesesndbuscuits]

I don’t understand why anyone would get their child an iPad or tablet. Especially under ten and while a toddler even!

I know this sounds like I think I’m superior having not done it, but however I asked the question it would have come across like that. I’m far from a perfect parent and rely on the tv far too much for childcare when I’m making dinner or need to drink my tea in peace.

But iPads and tablets I don’t get, they’re so interactive and addictive. I genuinely can’t understand why you’d get one for a child. Especially when there’s tv that is more passive (though I accept not good either!).

Totally agree!! There’s a great quote that when you hand your child an iPad/smart phone, you end their childhood. It’s so true. The stress and anxiety they cause especially for teens is unreal and parents seem completely blinkered. Devices do have a huge negative impact. My child’s nursery said there was a clear divide between the young children given devices and those that aren’t. But given how many adults that are addicted to screens, I think things will only get worse.

A iPad is a lot easier and cheaper to use plus takes up a lot less space. We brought our son a iPad during lockdown for school work as the desktop is needed all day for my partners work (we don’t have space for a second computer and desk) and he found the Mac difficult to use. I wouldn’t use a phone to do work on and wouldn’t except a child to do either. We never once regretted buying him a iPad he doesn’t use it everyday for starters but great for traveling/ visiting family . He is ten now so can look things up to build and watch Minecraft creations/ get ideals of what he wants to build. He doesn’t use social media. He can watch Disney + on it. They use them in schools and a lot of toys including Lego/ duplo require an app that can be used on the iPad. The other plus is when he does get a phone the software is all the same and he is used to using it.

Devices on their own don’t do anything. Device use (how long for, what on, what controls etc.) can negatively impact a child/teen , positively or not at all.

You could say the same thing about kitchen knives, but there aren’t many people locking those up , are they?

And with attitudes like this, this is why we have the issues we are seeing. You do you luv. I’ll stick with how I’m raising my kids, screen free, anxiety free, balanced, regulated young people not addicted to devices

Parents are frazzled. We are stuck in a world where most people can't afford a parent to stay home and be there for a child. Most parents are working and exhausted. The iPad entertains the child making them happy in the moment and it buys the parent precious time to clear, cook, wash, relax themselves. People are doing the best they can.

Hopefully we are reaching a point where it will be considered socially unacceptable and that will help.

You must be well off to be buying kids iPads. Or are you just keeping up with Joneses. Wouldn't a much cheaper Samsung do the job?

I’m doing me. And I have a well balanced, regulated , happy , high achieving, well behaved , polite, kind and pretty awesome -most of the time - kid too. Do we get a cookie?

Both of my kids 5 and 8 have Amazon fires. Do they go on them too much? Absolutely. But they don’t take them to restaurants or to others houses and they don’t have them after a certain time (they have them a Friday night for a hour in bed) but they do love being outdoors love doing crafts or playing with toys. They aren’t iPad is the be all end all kids.

She has those too thanks.

Edited to add:

Curious as to why you think they are superior though? I think watching a film or something like Hetty Feather/Malory Towers seems reasonable for a bit on a long flight. Why is hearing it preferable to hearing and seeing? Curious as sometimes the visual is what helps with the travel sickness.

Ours didn’t have tablets as toddlers but from about age 8. Really useful for educational apps. Mine has done amazing with maths games and spelling. The other taught themselves a language using Duolingo from age 9.

one uses YouTube for Lego videos and to teach origami by watching step by step. Both have homework apps and it’s easier for them to use a tablet than my phone with a smaller screen. Tricky to use our laptops as their set up for work.

we have strict rules and times and it’s all about balance. They’re also very active and I’ve never had an issue with them coming off a screen. They don’t communicate with others though - definitely no social media and can’t connect to anyone. All apps have to be approved. No face time or anything.

we also download shows for journeys and holidays which helps as most places don’t have dvd players anymore.

not sure if that helps but screens aren’t all bad. But some parenting is.

Just to add we don’t take them out of the house unless it’s a long journey or holidays. So we don’t take to restaurants or others peoples house like someone else said. When out they are expected to sit nicely, talk or colour etc. But I don’t judge families that need to use them for whatever reason so long as headphones are used!!!

You can get cheaper devices or second hand. I think sometimes people use the label iPad for all tablets. Like I say hoover for my vacuum cleaner that is not the brand hoover! (Just used to the term!)

You are being unreasonable to say you don’t understand. It’s quite simple, these parents want an easy life. I won’t buy one for my children - at a push I’d let them watch something on my iPad on a long plane journey if I had exhausted all other options but that’s it. My iPad is permanently hidden away so my little boy wouldn’t even see it another time.

From experience as someone who routinely hires people; those who have not embraced tech from a young age, won’t get the job

I also don’t get it. I understand the excuses…peer pressure, being a busy parent so giving the iPad to get a break, school homework…but these are all excuses. The fact is that these devices are dumbing our kids down and making them anxious. If more parents would put their children’s health first, then it would make life a lot easier for everyone to be screen free. Sounds harsh but it’s true. There’s no need to ‘learn’ technology as a toddler or young child…technology is intuitive and at any rate, by the time they need it for work it will all have changed. I’ve seen 4year olds doom scrolling YouTube, toddlers watching videos on their phone in a pram…it’s insane.

I’ve hired many people…and this simply isn’t true. The most creative people I know (and I mean that across technical and business roles, not specifically in artistic fields) are folks that didn’t even have a TV growing up. To have the ability to solve problems, people need to have experience of solving real world problems, not looking at a screen. they need to be able to think for themselves, be curious about their surroundings.
Learning to use technology can come much later, teens and beyond. For under 10s it is if no value whatsoever…you can learn to use an iPad in about 5 minutes.

I don’t know what field you work in, but nope; this simply isn’t true. But good luck to you and yours

I hate seeing small children at restaurants on iPads. We always took little games or colouring with us to cafes and restaurants, I had a small bag ready packed for this. It’s incredibly lazy to just hand over an iPad to your child for this purpose.

When I was struggling to potty train my twins in desperation one day I gave one of them the iPad on the potty and she was instantly addicted. I really regretted it and it took ages to wean her off it. After that we didn’t allow any devices until age 10 when we got them laptops. That was 2 weeks before lockdown so ended up being exactly the right timing.

I work in tech. I can’t imagine any field where it would be of value for someone to have used an iPad or similar before the age of 10. It’s nonsensical.

unless they are homeschooled, they will all have used them at school anyway.

My older 2 (aged 18 and 20) have their own laptops/phones/tablets. Dc3 (15) and dc4 (13) have phones with no internet. Dc5 (12) doesn't have anything. The younger 3 have a shared tablet that they sometimes use. I find it works well because it needs to be shared so they naturally don't use it a lot. I find it really helpful at certain times though like hospital waiting rooms.

My children are 12 and 13 and they’ve never had screens. It is possible!

I work in tech too. And the younger kids are these days, who get used to, and familiar with all tech,
the better. And the up and coming kids…. Had better get familiar with AI too.

poor kids

So you don't hire anyone over the age of any 35?