Infants and iPads? It’s Not As Farfetched As You Might Think!
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ABC News’ Lisa Stark reports:
Like mother, like daughter. Like father, like son. Just as adults are increasingly grabbing for their digital media devices, their children are too.
Sometimes it’s the perfect toy to keep a cranky 2-year-old quiet, or maybe your 6-year0-old is begging to play the latest game app. A new study has now taken a first-ever look at children’s use of new digital media devices. The study, by Common Sense Media, finds the devices are quickly becoming a part of a children’s world.
Researchers surveyed omore than 1,300 parents of children up to age 8. They found that 40 percent of 2- to 4-year-olds, and 52 percent of 5- to 8-year-olds have used smart phones, video iPods, iPads or similar devices. Even infants are not immune. Ten percent of those under age1 have handled one of these devices. The kids are playing games, watching videos, or using other apps. On any given day, 11 percent of those up to age 8 are using one of these devices. Those who do may spend as long as 43 minutes on the device.
While this trend may be growing, the youngest media consumers still spend far more time in front of a television than they do on one of these mobile devices. Those up to age 8 spend an average of one hour and 40 minutes watching TV or DVDs on a typical day. And those under age 1 spent about 53 minutes, more than twice as much time as they spend being read to.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for those under age 2. The group doesn’t have a position on this new media and its affect on children. Study authors say they’re hoping their data will start a discussion on whether this type of screen time is any better or worse for children than TV.
Kids are also mimicking their parents in another modern past time- media multi-tasking. Nearly a quarter of 5- to 8-year-olds use more than one media most or some of the time.
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I strongly disagree with your reporting of the dollar bill and saving money. Why did you not also ask how much money could we save if we stopped minting the coins? We keep on minting the coins even though they are not used. How much money was stored in that vault you showed on the news? I do not think your coverage is balanced. We cannot make a reasonable decision on saving money if you don’t give all the facts. If they stopped minting the coins, how much more would we have right now and not 30 years down the road?
Posted by: Norma R. Mills | October 25, 2011, 7:07 pm 7:07 pm
I just watched the segment on toddlers and iPads and was deeply disappointed in the message that it is ok for toddlers to spend time with iPads. The American Pediatric Association has long warned about the danger of children under two watching tv. There is concern that it interfers with young children’s attention span and could play a part in ADD/ADHD due to how quickly images move across the screen.
There is also research that has shown there is an addiction to electronic devices: texting, vidoes games, tv, etc. that has an impact on young brains. Allowing young children to use electronic devices just begins this addiction earlier. Please search out the DVD: Play Again to learn more about this. Please consider revisiting this topic with more air time and more experts who can share with parents the danger of children and electronic devices. Not to would be morally irresponsible. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my strong feelings about this topic.
Posted by: Sandy Newnan | October 25, 2011, 8:19 pm 8:19 pm
let me guess the ipad is going to become the new babysitter for parents?
Posted by: polly | October 25, 2011, 8:41 pm 8:41 pm
I just watched the segment on toddlers and iPads, etc. I am deeply disappointed in the message that it is ok for young children to spend time on IPads. The American Pediatric Association has long warned that children younger than 2 should not be exposed to any type of screens. It is thought that watching tv is resulting in shorter attention spans and could be responsible for ADD/ADHD. Not to mention the obesity epedemic which is partly caused by children’s lack of exercise> Children who begin using iPads at an early age become addicted to screens at an early age which does have a negative impact on the brain. Please find a copy of Play Again (DVD that documents the negative effect of screens on children’s brains) and review it.
Your coverage could give parents a false sense of security because the negative effects on the young child’s brain was not thoroughly described. I hope you will consider revisiting this topic.I feel that it is morally irresponsible not to!
Sandy N., M.Ed.
Early Childhood Education
Posted by: Sandy Newnan | October 25, 2011, 11:32 pm 11:32 pm