Technology is turning up in some surprising places these days. First there was the iPotty, launched last year so toddlers could play with an iPad while conducting the oh-so-boring business of, well, doing their business. More recently, Fisher-Price created a furor when it unveiled the iPad Apptivity Seat, a bouncy seat that suspends an iPad directly in front of a newborn baby’s face.
Smartphones and tablets have become today’s pacifiers, keeping babies and kids quiet and occupied in the car, at the store, and while waiting for food at the restaurant. But in the bathroom?
And do babies really need technology before they can even sit up?
Child development experts are worried.
“Although it is tempting for parents to offer their babies and toddlers an iPad, it is not a replacement for the important relationship building that occurs through playful parent-child interactions,” says Dr. Roni Cohen Leiderman, dean of the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development at Nova Southeastern University.
As children grow, the television is not only entertainment, it is also the babysitter, the best friend, and the reward system. In many homes the television is often on all day and evening, whether or not anyone is watching.
If you are an average parent, none of this is any big surprise to you. But the nation’s pediatricians want to warn you — again — that kids need clear limits on media use. If nothing else, it certainly is something to think about as you make your New Year’s resolutions.
Excessive media use has been associated with obesity, lack of sleep, school problems, aggression, and other behavior issues.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has advised for quite some time that babies and toddlers get no exposure at all to television and video screens, and that kids above age 2 be allowed to have no more than two hours of screen time daily.
“For nearly three decades, the A.A.P. has expressed concerns about the amount of time that children and teenagers spend with media, and about some of the content they are viewing,” Dr. Victor Strasburger said in a statement when the report was released. “The digital age has only made these issues more pressing.”
In today’s world, the average child spends about eight hours in front of screens each day, according to the pediatrician’s organization. That makes screen time the leading activity for young people after sleep.
The pediatricians — many of whom are parents themselves — are trying to be realistic about the situation. There are many positives that can come from media use, they concede. Educational television such as “Sesame Street” can be stimulating to young minds, while other shows such as “Dora the Explorer” expose young children to Spanish. Educational television for older kids can help teach about history, nature, geography, and other cultures.
The internet is a critical tool for homework, and social media helps older kids feel connected. But when it comes to products such as the iPotty and iPad bouncy seat, experts urge parents to approach with caution.
“Nurturance is the key to developing your child’s healthy emotional intelligence and that requires time, attention, and touch with a caring adult,” Leiderman says. “Watch a small child with an electronic device and you will see a mesmerized focus on the screen. At first blush that may seem appropriate — and for short periods of time it may be. Children may, in fact, be learning some concepts and are certainly giving parents time off, but they are not getting the full dimension of learning [that] takes place with a caring adult.”
For example, Leiderman says, a story “read” by a computerized voice on an iPad cannot match the tonal quality and warm interchanges that happen when family members have their baby cuddled in their lap as they read the book with pauses, questions, pointing, and responses to their baby’s giggles and interests.
If parents simply can’t resist putting such gadgets in front of their child, restraint is key.
“Think of it like a treat for your baby or toddler,” Leiderman advises. “Once in a while is fine, but you wouldn’t want to make steady diet of it.”
KiKi Bochi is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in family health and child development.
