Is it bad for my toddler to use a tablet?
With the interaction that tablets can provide through educational games and e-books, should we consider letting our toddlers use them? What are the benefits and drawbacks of using electronic devices with our toddlers?
The American Academy of Pediatrics has a long stance of discouraging the use of electronic technology for children under 2 years of age. However, as technology advances, so does the need to update the recommendations for use of electronic media by toddlers. Recently, at the AAP's national conference, two pediatricians debated the use of technology and the AAP's recommendations.
On one side of the debate, Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, FAAP, argued that tablets could be considered beneficial as learning devices, as they can be used to read, solve problems, and interact with new technology — far different from simply passively watching television.
On the other side, Donald Shifrin, MD, FAAP, argued that research on those educational benefits is limited, and could lead parents to allow their children to spend too much time engaging with a tablet and not enough time engaging with others — a key facet of child development and learning.
Both pediatricians have a point. Connection and interaction are essential in helping a child learn and retain new information. That said, children learn best when they are motivated and their curiosity is peaked — both of which technological advances provide.
Recent research has shown that enhanced e-books — those that include games and videos — can actually provide children with extra motivation to read. However, that same study also found that children using e-books recalled fewer details and demonstrated decreased comprehension of the content, possibly because the videos and games provided a distraction. In addition, parents and children interacted less while reading those books. Traditional books offer more opportunities for parent-child interaction through asking questions and pointing out details, which increases comprehension and learning of new material.
Children, particularly those under 2 years of age, develop through interaction with their environment and with others. Technology can be a great tool to increase motivation and provide children with enhanced experiences, but it can also be a barrier to social interaction. Reading to your children is essential because it forms a positive association with the act of reading and promotes interaction and connection. This may best occur when reading the old-fashioned paper books.
We find that there is still no agreement on the "right guidelines" for children and technology. As it stands, the best recommendation I can give is to use technology when it is functional and, like most things, in moderation. If technology becomes a barrier to your child's interaction with their environment or with others, then it may be time to reduce the amount of time he or she spends on the tablet or e-book. As Shifrin points out, "The most dangerous thing we can do for youngsters nowadays is to deny them access to the digital world, but the second most dangerous thing is to give them unlimited access."
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