Your Views on iPad Kids

[CathedralHugger]

I'm so pleased that Gen Z have stepped in to question the sheer quantity of screen time that many children now have from a very early age.

As parents, it's easy to feel defensive. But I believe we desperately need to have this conversation.

Given the increasing volume of research that points to excessive screen time leading to various developmental delays and behavioural issues, it seems crazy that this isn't higher up the political and educational agenda.

I'd love to hear the views of teachers and others who work with this generation. What are you seeing? How have things changed? What effect do you think screens are having on the kids you work with?

Going to give this a bump as it’s something I’m interested in hearing about as well (I’m not a teacher).

I would reply if it wasn’t so bloody obvious the OP is a journo looking for easy copy.

Thanks @Naptrappedmummy . @JaffavsCookie I'm not a journalist but to be honest I'd be pleased if the media picked this up. I probably should have explained that the "iPad Kids" thing has been all over TikTok recently. (Yep, I have issues with excessive screen time too 😅)

I have been a teacher for close to twenty years. I have recently returned to the classroom after several years at home with my daughter. Since my return, I have been struck by the decline in pupils’ standards in a whole host of areas. Attention spans are short; spelling is poor; children are far less capable of constructing coherent, lucid compositions. In my school, all children in Years 5 and 6 have their own iPads. I resent having to use them in my teaching practice: they are a nuisance and a real bulwark to learning.
None of us grew up with these technologies so we are totally unaware of the damage we are doing. I feel desperately sorry for this generation of young people. There is so much pressure on them to achieve. They attend a multitude of extracurricular activities and they are run ragged. There is little down time; little time to be bored and little time to rest and grow. I cannot begin to imagine the mental stress caused by incessant social media exposure. This issue must be addressed.

Thanks for this @Obiewilliams. How do you feel about your job since you went back to teaching?

It's a shame you have to use iPads in your classroom when you don't feel it's beneficial to your pupils. Wouldn't it be nice if teachers were trusted to make decisions about the best way to teach their classes?

I agree there's a huge amount of pressure on kids now, and excessive screen time is part of a bigger picture.

I don't know anyone in education who allows their own young children much screentime at all which is pretty telling.

Same here @PlateIets. And from the other end of the equation, you'll never hear anyone in tech arguing that giving tech to toddlers will lead to a future in Silicone Valley. They need to learn to problem solve in the real world first.

@CathedralHugger it’s heartbreaking to see how broken the education sector is. It’s a very difficult landscape to navigate (especially when you disagree with so much of what is being promoted). I would love to affect change but finding the energy, when your workload is so huge, is very difficult. All I can do is try to guide the children within my care. I’m not sure how long I will last though.🥲

@Obiewilliams it sounds like you're doing your best in a very difficult situation. Those kids are lucky to have you as their teacher. Hang in there!