Pros and Cons of Kids' Tablet Time
Screens attract our kids right from infancy. Haven’t we all experienced our babies trying to snatch the phone out of our hands from the first moments they can control their own tiny fingers?
Of course, anything with colorful moving pictures, fun sounds, and a screen that reacts to their touch is going to be mesmerizingly attractive to a young child. We all know that too much screentime isn’t good for our kids.
But how much is too much, and can anything good come out of the best tablet for kids? Are tablets for toddlers totally taboo, or are there some benefits to tablet time for our tots?
Tablet Time To-Dos
While screen time is a hotly debated issue in many online parenting groups — running the gamut from mothers who keep all screens away from their children, and parents who admit that they couldn’t live without the break that comes with handing their child a tablet— according to a 2017 study by Common Sense Media, 80 percent of children at that time had access to a tablet or iPad. And it’s a safe bet that the number has only increased since then.
But how concerned should we be as parents about letting our kids spend time on a tablet? Is there any benefit to tablet time for kids? According to some experts—Yes.
Benefits of Tablets in Learning Environments
Early exposure to the technology of the best tablet for kids can give a young child the important technological background that he or she will need once they start school. The school environment today absolutely requires some basic familiarity with operating a computer.
Children will use classroom computers, tablets, and iPads at school for many learning activities and tests. A child who is already familiar with the technology can focus on the content of the lesson without struggling with the technology.
Research has also shown some benefits to tablet time for kids thanks to many fun learning apps. Some skills that tablet use boosts are language skills, vocabulary comprehension, and mathematical skills.
Tablet Apps and Children's Development
A study in 2013 revealed that playing games on the best tablet for children is better for their cognitive development than watching television. It can increase reflexes, fine motor skills, and is more interactive than television, resulting in more brain stimulation.
Many apps also encourage creativity in art and design in a way that television cannot match. Also, while studies show that television watching shows some signs of causing an increase in negative behaviors, age-appropriate games and apps do not.
Tablets are also changeable to adapt to a child’s skill level. As your child develops, just add newer educational games and apps to introduce new skills.
Finally, the best tablet for kids can hold a lot of information and activities in a small package. It’s perfect for car seat entertainment and can save space in your home by packing in books, games, and learning materials in a portable package.
Tablet Time Turn-Offs
While there are some benefits to having the best tablet for kids, there are also some drawbacks. Kids become more easily addicted to it than adults.
Most parents set limits, and as we all have experienced, when screentime is up, it’s time for parents to take a deep breath and prepare for tears and tantrums. While some parents may be lucky enough to have a child who meekly hands over the tablet and goes off to paint a beautiful picture or read a book, most of us do not have that mystical child.
Monitoring Content and Parental Controls
Parents also have to be careful about content. It’s especially important to monitor and keep parental filters in place if your child spends time on Youtube or plays multiplayer games with strangers from the internet.
Only age-appropriate games and apps should be available to them on their tablet, and parents should periodically check that a child doesn’t download an app or game on their own.
Setting Limits on Screen Time
It’s important not to let tablet time take over. Encourage your child to turn off the screens and play with non-electronic toys, play outdoors for physical activity, and read books that are not on a screen.
It also shouldn’t replace important interactions with parents, friends, and family. Screentime should be carefully balanced with other activities and should only be supplemental, not a child’s main daily occupation.
Too much tablet time can also cause sleep disturbances. The blue light from devices inhibits melatonin production and makes it harder for a child to fall asleep. For that reason, it’s recommended that children remain screen-free for at least an hour before bedtime.
While tablets can have their drawbacks, and will almost always cause daily arguments negotiating screen time limits back and forth with your child — who will learn to argue like a lawyer over this issue — the best tablet for kids can also have some significant benefits. Like most other things in life and child-rearing, moderation is the key.
Resources— WhatToExpect, RaiseSmartKid, ManageMommyhood
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