Are you one of the parents anxious about the impacts of tablets on kids? Well, your concern is meaningful! Because they are affecting studies, physical health, social interaction, emotional development, cognitive abilities, eye-sight, and pretty much everything else of your kids. So, in this blog, we will discuss the positive and negative effects of using tablets for kids, their ideal usage timing, safety tips for parents, and many more. So keep learning!
Are tablets a good idea for kids?
To say whether tablets are appropriate for children is not simply a yes or no answer. It hinges on such things as the age of the child, the level of his/her cognitive development, and how the tablet will be utilized. Therefore, parents need to consider these factors along with the pros and cons of kids using tablets so that they can make the right decision on handing over a tablet to their kids.
You know, tablets are interactive tools for learning, especially among small children, and they can provide interactive experiences that books or traditional toys may not give.
Moreover, tablets can continue supporting education with digital classrooms and e-learning platforms, as they provide access to lots of information for independent studying purposes and even facilitate time management.
One more thing to bear in mind is that too much time spent watching screens has been associated with low physical activity, sleep disorders as well as lowered social skills. Also, there is a possibility of inappropriate content or online threats in case the parental control function is not properly set up in a tablet device.
When should a child start taking tablets?
Well, the question is good, but deciding the appropriate age for kids to use tablets is very complicated because many variables are involved, including age, the kid’s mental level, and the need for a tablet.
First, think about your children’s age and screen time. According to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), babies under 18 months have no screen time except video chatting applications. Between 2 – 5 years old, one hour of educational programming per day with a caregiver is acceptable. It’s obvious that there is no need to prepare tablets for kids in the above age groups.
Well, there come the schoolers. Tablets can be incorporated into elementary school age (6-10 years) to a greater extent. At this stage, children are more able to use tablets for academic purposes such as homework or study apps. Nonetheless, parents should still be involved in this process and maintain a balance between screen time and other activities.
Okay! Recent studies have emphasized that excessive screen usage, particularly before the age of 5, has been linked to effects on cognitive functions and social development. For instance, too much screen time results in reduced physical activity times as well as limited face-to-face interactions that are important in child development, especially at their early stages.
Ultimately, there is no single answer to the right age to start your child on a tablet. Parents need to consider the child’s maturity, interest in technology, and the educational value of accessed content.
The positive effects of tablets for kids
Like every technology, tablets have many benefits for kids as well as adults. These beneficiary elements affect the children’s development in different ways, such as:
+ Educational value
As we discussed earlier, tablets allow access to many educational apps and resources that can boost learning. For instance, interactive lessons and educational games are good for introducing technological education at an early stage. Through these facilities, children can acquire basic reading skills, numeracy skills, and problem-solving abilities.
+ Skills development
More than academic purposes, tablets enhance cognitive ability for multiple tasks. Hence, touch screens help young users improve their hand-eye coordination plus fine motor skills.
Moreover, creative applications where one makes drawings composes music or tells stories facilitate imagination and thinking like rationalists, thus empowering them with the necessary skills.
+ Accessibility to information
Tablets enable your children to access information from across the globe at their palms’ reach. This means they can use it during school projects, explore new areas, or just learn independently without adult supervision.
As teens grow up, tablets become important tools for research, ensuring digital literacy where they can learn from different sources.
+ Social & emotional benefits
Besides facilitating emotional growth among kids, tablets serve as a way of connecting families who are separated by geographical boundaries using video calls & messaging apps. In general, these media enhance bonds among family members who live apart.
Furthermore, some gaming & educational applications have a greater impact on children’s development, like how to have emotional control and be mindful in their thinking. All these can help them center their thoughts on what really matters.
The negative effects of tablets for kids
While tablets have advantages, they can also have several negative effects on children’s health and development. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account all the potential risks associated with tablet usage, including:
– Kids’ mental health
It is obvious that using tablets too frequently harms children’s mental health. Extended hours using digital devices lead to anxiety increase, depression, and mood shifts in children.
Furthermore, digital content, with its instant pleasure, tends to make children more intolerant of boredom and impatientness. There are also those instances where exposure to inappropriate content or social media leaves a person feeling inadequate or with low self-worth.
– Screen addiction in children
Tablet addiction in children is growing day by day. And when parents forcefully take away tablets from children, it creates behaviors such as irritability and tantrums.
This kind of stimulation, therefore, makes it difficult for them to engage in other offline activities. It leads to addiction that deters good habits like reading books, playing outside, or spending quality time with family.
– Physical health problems
There are also negative physical consequences associated with long periods spent on tablets by children. Prolonged screen time leads to sedentary behavior, which increases obesity risk, weak eyesight, and other related health issues associated with it.
Besides this, wrong positioning while operating a tablet could cause musculoskeletal issues like neck pain, back pain, and eye fatigue. Also, eye drains and sleep disturbance caused by blue light from screens lead to myopia and slower child development.
How long should a child play on a tablet?
To achieve a balance in development, guidelines from health organizations outlined the recommended screen time spent by children on tablets. basically, this will depend on the child’s age group; let’s see.
The screen time guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AAPCAP):
- No screen time for infants under 18 months.
- Children between 18 and 24 months can watch screens but only good quality content for less than half an hour. But zero screen time is still recommended at this age.
- Preschool children (2-5 years) should spend a maximum of one hour. At this stage, screen time needs to be balanced with other physical activities that help a child grow normally.
- A maximum of two hours per day is recommended between ages 5 and 17 (except homework time). The main concern is that screen time should not affect your kids’ sleep, physical activity, or any other important behaviors for overall wellness.
Additionally, all age groups need to strike a balance between virtual and face-to-face interactions. Although tablets can provide educational and social advantages, they should not take the place of personal contact. Face-to-face interaction helps children develop socially, understand how others feel, and grow emotionally, thereby becoming all-around individuals.
Safety tips on managing tablet use for kids
When it comes to children’s tablet use, both parents and educators play a role in leading kids to the right track. To restrict children from internet toxicity and false connections through tablets and other smart devices, let’s discuss some practical tips that will prove helpful for you;
- Screen time limits for children: Parents should set screen time limits for their children to avoid excessive tablet use. This will give children enough time to engage in other essential activities like physical play, reading books, and interaction with family and friends.
- Age-appropriate apps for kids: Another important aspect of safe tablet use is ensuring that the right apps are selected according to age groups. Parents should check ratings and read reviews about programs to know what exactly is being given out here.
- Teach kids not to share personal information: Educating youngsters about keeping personal information (such as name, address, or school name) private online is essential for their safety. Besides, parents and teachers should openly discuss the dangers of online predators and why one must keep his/her personal life confidential.
- Parental controls for kids’ tablets: It’s a fact that parents can’t be with their kids 24/7 and monitor all their actions. Some kids use mobiles & tablets without any limit once in the absence of their parents. Fortunately, parental control apps (like FlashGet Kids) are powerful solutions that allow you to monitor a kid’s phone and limit screen time directly from your phone.
A glance at FlashGet Kids
FlashGet Kids is a parental control tool that allows kids to enjoy the benefits of technology without sacrificing their safety. Just take a few minutes to install, bind devices, and set up the monitoring dashboard, and you can easily keep tabs on what your children are doing on their phones.
More innovative parental monitoring features are available in the FlashGet Kids app, except for live location tracking and geo-fencing. Check them below:
- Screen time limits: Through this, as is evident by name, you can set specific hours for screen time. When the screen time is over, the screen will turn off automatically, or you will be notified. You can even lock the kid’s device screen at dinner time, sleeping hours, or school time to help them focus.
- Notification tracker: It allows you to monitor the notifications and texts coming on your kid’s phone, ultimately helping you control their online connections.
- Live monitoring and daily usage reports: Know your kid’s daily phone use from your phone. The one-way audio and remote camera also allow you to check the surroundings around them.
- Keyword detection: If your kid uses a tablet and you are anxious about it, you can set some specific keywords (kiss, sex, alcohol, etc.). And now, whenever your child searches for those words or watches related content, you will be notified immediately.
Conclusion
It is not pointless to say that smart devices like tablets have made lives easier by facilitating communications over long distances, providing meaningful information through the Internet, organizing data, etc. But all this has some side effects, too, like mental health disturbances and a lack of face-to-face interactions.
So, it is concluded that all we can do is use technology with safety measures. For example, if your kids use a tablet or any smart device, make sure to monitor their screen activities via a parental control tool, like the FlashGet Kids app.
