Should you let your toddler play with a tablet, or other “toddler tech”? It’s a divisive topic. Many parents have strong opinions about this. Some claim their kids won’t be touching technology until much older; some extremists even suggest not showing the kids TV until it becomes necessary! Other parents note that given technology is so prevalent, it does kids a disservice to hide it until later; why not let them grow alongside tech so they become familiar and competent sooner than later?
Even the scientists (sort of) disagree on the topic. On one hand, many studies say that tablets stifle kids’ social and emotional development, their math and science development, or even their speech development. Them’s a lot of reasons to avoid tablets. Other scientists, at least way back in 2015, suggested not the opposite, but something somewhat conflicting: according to a University of London study, “tablets should be part of a baby’s world from birth.” London’s argument is that tablets (loaded with the right educational apps) facilitate learning.
So what’s a parent to do?
As Lindsay Lohan once said, “My motto is: Live every day to the fullest – in moderation.” In other words, we believe that moderation of toddler tech is key. We don’t want to suggest using tablets as a crutch to pacify your children; but rather, brief touch points of exposure here or there can add educational value without creating a dependency.
The thing to avoid is allowing the device to become the predominant mechanism for appeasing a crying kid. The ability to self-soothe is an important skill to learn. When your toddler is tantrum-ing at bedtime, you don’t want to have to resort to technology (when a good ole fashioned beating will suffice, amirite! j/k..).
It’s well-known and well-researched that early development television such as Sesame Street helps with vocabulary, reading comprehension, and numeracy. Also, Cookie Monster is damn funny. Apps can function in the same way, though note that not all apps are made equal. You (probably) wouldn’t let your kid binge on Sesame Street for hours at a time, so you probably don’t want to let the kid sit with a tablet for hours on end. Obviously social interaction and creativity are important, but (in our opinions), technology can be just another conduit for learning.
Moderate Use of Toddler Tech
It’s important to emphasize that last point, as science and experience align there: as Jenny Radesky, MD, clinical instructor in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine stated, “increased television time decreases a child’s development of language and social skills.” Unmoderated technology, whether that’s television or tablets, decreases attention spans, self-soothing, ability to empathize, and the creativity that comes from exploratory play. We as parents have to moderate use.
One broadly-accepted suggestion is to make tech time part of interactive play. You and the child can work through an app together. For example, there are coloring apps which you can co-use instead of drawing on paper; similarly, there are puzzle apps that you can solve together. Technology can be additive to the experience instead of a replacement! Ask questions about the app or TV show to help build comprehension and social play.
Binging on Technology
A recent study from the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that kids who sipped alcohol in middle school were more likely to drink in high school; and kids who drank alcohol in high school were more likely to binge in college. Frankly, I expected the opposite: if you never tried booze pre-college, you’d be more likely to go hog wild at the frats. It’s unclear if the analogy holds for technology. Will kids who are prevented from using tech in early ages binge on it later? The jury is still out. That said, given technology is everywhere, unless you’re in a remote corner of the world, it’s probably unlikely your children won’t use a touch screen until they’re all growed up. Schools aim to emphasize STEM, so any abstaining thereof will quickly be violated.
Regardless of your view, young children learn best from real-world experiences. We are simply suggesting that supplementing early learning with moderated use of technology can enrich the experience, and if you need a brief technical pacifier when out to dinner here or there, make it an exceptional circumstance, as it probably won’t do lasting damage.
Toddler Tech Toys
Many other toys are also also tech-enabled. For example, you can find activity tables and walkers that play sounds and light up when buttons are pressed, Elsa wands and Troll microphones that play music, vibrating cows, etc… At the other extreme are things like the VTech products – the Smart Watch or InnoTab, for example.
The VTech watch, in addition to teaching how to tell the time, can take photos and videos, has a couple of games, and an app store. It’s no Apple Watch, but it certainly seems like the kid equivalent. At what point does technology become labeled as inappropriate or invasive? At what point on the technology spectrum do we qualify it as problematic for young children? Science does not yet provide guidance, but the adage of moderation still holds: too much of any toy is probably not a good thing.
