Toddlers and Tablets
All too often I see children placed in front of an iPad by their parents, only to be glued to the screen for hours. According to the Urban Child Institute, “Two-thirds of children aged six and under watch television every day, usually for around two hours”. This may not sound like an excessive amount to the average adult, however, during the first three years of a child’s life, extremely important brain development occurs. This period is vital and immoderate television usage can “endanger healthy development”. Early exposure to television has been linked to many negative health factors including delayed language development, attention deficit disorders, problems with sleeping, social development, and behavior disorders.
Along with Television usage, tablet and use of social media has become strikingly common among toddlers. Eighty percent of U.S. toddlers use technology devices by age four and two-thirds own mobile devices such as the iPad. Today, there are over one million apps that target children under the age of eight.
“Television, videos, and DVDs are not effective teachers.”
Parents must be aware of the harmful effects that can ensue from over exposure to social media and television. Instead of teaching children how to entertain themselves or go to sleep without the help of a game or a show, parents are enabling their children to become reliant on outside sources, which can lead to social and sleep disorders. Devices are replacing the hands on learning and human interaction that are vital to the development of infants and toddlers. Parents must be aware of these factors and moderate the time they are allowing their children to spend online. Early childhood development is important. We must not sacrifice this vital period simply because two hours of peace and quiet sound better.
