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!).

Yep, and this is something we should try our best to change: https://phys.org/news/2024-02-screens-paper-effective-absorb-retain.html

and this is about 2 year olds, so not directly related to iPads in schools, but for the general topic https://www.sgpc.gov.sg/detail?url=/media_releases/astar/press_release/P-20251230-2

What a silly question. I am 53 and have taught myself and taken courses in tech: those in their 30s are already very very familiar with it. Their excel skills are great. You can all be behind the times as much as you like - I am now looking for people with AI skills.

in the cases of schools I know, the choice is simply dictated by costs. It's cheaper to get the online reading programs etc. Nothing else, because they can only manage with the budget they have been given.

Until the government starts funding schools properly, and parents accept that "free education" doesn't mean they are exempt from making necessary contributions, it's only getting worst.

And you think kids under 10 are or need to be learning about AI to keep up? There are plenty of adults learning in real time, I don't see why young kids need to have ipads to be considered employable in future. For most jobs, the tech skills needed are relatively easily picked up a teenagers/uni/on the job.

My nephew is 13 in october. He doesn't have a phone, smart or otherwise. He doesn't ask for one, miss having one, and won't be getting one anytime soon.

Yes 100% kids should be learning all about AI. Yes

What do you recommend teaching toddlers and primary school children about ai?

I am not sure what you are asking? Kids at primary school are already being shown AI. By the time they leave high school, AI will be in every aspect of life. Toddlers already learn AI. Smart toys. Interactive media. It’s all AI

It makes me so sad when you see toddlers in pushchairs round shops etc glued to a phone or tablets. They don’t take anything in of their environment as they literally don’t look up. You never see kids looking out the window on train journeys anymore either as sooner than later out comes a screen.

Also been out for a few meals in recent months where parents have seen sat at the table talking and their young child is glued to a screen.

On one occasion the child twisted themselves around in the chair so they had their back to the table, squashed themselves against the back of the chair, were almost upside down with their phone on the seat and were still watching it. Parents didn’t bat an eyelid.

I am also of the mindset to not introduce these devices for a long time. DC is almost four and has only playfully swiped the screen on my phone or DH’s phone when we are sitting together.

Later when needed for school we will make sure it’s supervised use, limited access and we pop it away after homework.

DC doesn’t see us glued to our phones and we don’t have tablets, so I would hope that we are leading by example too.

People were smiling and unexpectedly surprised DC and I were sitting in a cafe without any tech and just enjoying each other’s company, observing the surroundings and enjoying lunch.

I am for tv though and the day is peppered with tv time outside of outings and playtime on the weekends.

I think our approach works well for our family unit but I wouldn’t judge any other parents, it’s their call.

Exposure is not learning. They may not realise those toys etc ai and certainly not the implications. What do you think they should know?

Personally, I'll be explaining how it works, that it is clever but not really intelligent. That it is fallible and to not be trusted. That there are certain things it is useful for. But that we should always do our own thinking and often our own writing. But those are quite big things for a primary child.

And I'm pretty sure my child hasn't been exposed to ai yet. I can't think how she would.

The dangers, environmental impacts, jobs it will take, rampant misinformation etc? Absolutely.

Totally agree. As a 35 year old I’m
older enough to recall having dial up internet that was strictly limited and only came in our house age 10.
also work in mental health so understand the psychological dangers of rapid brightly coloured fast pace screen time (not just iPads). Currently pregnant and will not be buying one for our child. We have laptop and if homework etc needs doing on a computer we will do it on that. we all had to learn how to behave at tables in restaurants and have conversations with adults and screen time I feel has massively impacted some children’s social skills. Let alone social media and online platform gaming and the whole host of dangers of what comes with those!
luckily I have friends with older kids who are of the same mindset so our kids will always have kids around them who aren’t reliant on devices

Our school doesn’t. DS is 6, doesn’t use a device. Acts like a crack addict if he has my phone for 5 mins. He would never have it outdoors, only when he manages to quickly nab it…

Since kindergarten when I asked my kid’s teacher to recommend enriching activities/ materials for my kid’s level, she’d send me a list of YouTube videos and apps. When I was his age we had textbook. Now they don’t have anything- everything is online.

Do you just have the homework apps then or have you let it spread into games etc?

It's about parenting, not devices. A tablet can actually be much better than mindless TV if the child is playing educational games on it! My kids (now 11 and 14) didn't have phones til they went to secondary school, have never had Minecraft or Roblox, don't have social media, but have had educational games (log-ins provided by primary school) since Reception. Maths Prodigy, Spelling Shed, Times Tables Rock Stars, and coding apps since the age of 5! Very useful!
In addition, there are several CBeebies games they used to play when they were little - that used their brain more than TV ever did. We fly to see family in Italy a few times a year and this was especially useful on flights! We also used to download films onto the tablet for flights.
These are kids who have always done lots of clubs and activities, including physical ones, who read voraciously, and who have always played and crafted loads as well. It's all about balance - and about what you let them do, and for how long per day.

I think it depends how you use it. My kids use our ipad (all of them under 10) when it rains or they want some chill time to watch cartoons or draw but majority of the time they are outside by the beach or the bushes. They have a very outdoorsy life where we live. So I am not very worried. I find it quite balanced to be honest

Majority of 11+ at private competitive schools and grammars have a test done on screen so need daily atom to pass. We bought an iPad so they could do daily. Off then they go on YouTube from the browser and turn their friends play Minecraft and they want it etc etc.. it is so bad. We don’t take it on holiday though as otherwise is a constant fight. Luckily our schools do not set any homework on line apart from atom, but they use iPad they provide a lot in class which I don’t like.
schools have adopted technology and teachers abuse it as it is less teaching for them. It is v sad.

Our school uses them from reception and sets homework from year 1 on them and one of the apps only runs on iPads so we had to get one. They don’t get the certificates otherwise either which feels unfair. I’m not happy about it but my child was the only one who struggled to use one and fell behind everyone purely because she had never used one! Our local secondary is an ‘iPad trust’ so they don’t have school books it’s all done on a hired iPad each year. It’s not a wealthy area in fact the poverty rate is high here so I don’t understand how it’s happened but it has.

You mention excel in another comment. Dozens of kids can’t even find excel on a laptop despite being on an ipad/phone for hours at an early age. There’s embracing tech and embracing tech.

Our daughter is autistic and non verbal, and the amount of speech therapy support she gets is basically teach the school for an hour in each EHCP phase and leave them to it. She has no interest in television or books at this stage, but cbeebies on a tablet to play simple colour games or watch Yakka Dee has been transformative for her communication. We owe the BBC a lot in all honesty, and a tablet is the medium which works for our child.

My 3 kids have an iPad each and have for a number of years. They're all under 12.
They are limited. If they help around the house (e.g. load/unload dishwasher, take bins out, contribute in another way), they get one hour that day. Eldest begged for a phone, got one a few months ago and hasn't picked it uo for three days.

I think it’s a lot easier with the first child. But when you have a second (or in my case a third) they start on these things a lot younger because they see their older brothers using them.

I agree that if they sit on YouTube all day it’s not healthy. But we just use the parental controls. YouTube is blocked and they have time limits set - so it automatically kicks them out of everything after a certain amount of screen time. The only things they can get on all the time are the educational ones like times tables rockstars.

if you set the controls, limit screen time and monitor then I think they can be super useful for down time / long journeys etc. But they shouldn’t replace being outside / sports / general fun.

That being said, you never know what someone else is dealing with and I never judge another parent for how they manage their days. I think this is more of a live and let live situation - do what’s right for your family and let everyone else do the same.

TBF you don't need to understand it you just don't buy one if you don't want to and you don't judge those who do things differently to you

It's that easy