Ah the iPad, aka the essential accessory,is quickly also being known as: the kids companion; the networked nanny; the pacifier.
The magic electronic babysitter?
It seems most toddlers will turn towards an electronic tablet before squatting in front of the TV these days, and perhaps parents can find solace in this. After all, the iPad and other tablets are far more interactive than the television. The active participation a tablet requires can be seen as time well spent if compared to sitting idle in front of the TV. Maybe they can even be declared the next frontier in teaching and constructive play. There are many ingenious apps for kids that demand creativity and logic in quick and bite-sized ways. Is your kid going to be idle for half an hour? With out a doubt, there’s countless good apps for that.
Only a Luddite would lambaste the almighty iPad, but it might be well advised to at least question the trade-offs. For one, given all the news lately about internet and gaming addiction,should parents be worried that we are helping to develop a dependence on technology in our kids by having an iPad at their disposal?
Are we raising our kids to be addicted to tech?
The physiological effects of electronics on young minds is up for debate, and the main concern is whether technology better prepares us for the real world (whatever that might be in twenty years).
David Pogue wrote a very interesting opinion titled "A Parent’s Struggle With a Child’s iPad Addiction." In the end, he seems to excuse said addiction as an undesirable side-effect.
Pogue also invites parents to weigh in, and we’d like to do the same: what are your thoughts on ‘the magic electronic babysitter’? Is the iPad a good toy for tots? What’s the limit? Is tech addiction a problem?
