Adolescents/Children In An Iphone/Ipad World

[DonN]

Grandson age 2 occupies himself quite adequately with uploaded Yo Gaba Gaba YouTube videos – has gotten to the point where his finely tuned youthful memory allows him to now navigate some of the correct icons to pull up & run YoGG on his own – is there an educational component here ?wouldn’t an age appropriate puzzle be a better way to bond with the lad & at the same time stretch the brain ? what say you all ?

Should a child age 8 first demonstrate a certain level of maturity and responsibility before getting his/her own Ipad ? your comments please.

Last Summer our two oldest grandchildren spent a week with us – TV wasn’t allowed and we didn’t strap a DVD player to the ceiling of our SUV when out & about – while on the road for an overnight trip to the RI shore we went through the alphabet and asked each one to come up with words for each letter – there were other activities also but you get the idea - they survived and we're all still on speaking terms

 

[smalltank]

umm..what?

 

[Infernal2]

My kid's don't have iPads. My daughter, nine years old and an avid reader does have a Kindle though. She's incredibly responsible for her age and yes, both my wife and I insisted that she demonstrate a level of maturity and responsibility before she was able to get it. My oldest son, who isn't quite the reader that my daughter is does have his own laptop at twelve and again demonstrated his maturity before getting it. He's an avid graphic artist and animator with the device. My youngest son doesn't have either but if he demonstrates maturity and particular interests then sure but he's only eight. All three of them do have their own bows, their own knives, and my eldest has his own rifle and shotgun. I guess what I'm getting at is that they all, whether the item is dangerous or mind numbing have their own access to these items and its been based on their maturity to get and handle these items. I figure if I trust my eldest son with his own rifle, or my daughter with a razor sharp chisel, then I can trust them with computer access as long as (like with the other devices) I keep up with what they access and what interest them. And despite the amount of computer access they get... ....they all spend a good deal of time outside everyday.

 

[bill w.]

Santa brought my 8 year old son an iPhone for Christmas.
He loves it he has had an ipod for a couple years now.
Makes me kinda sad though everything to high tech for my taste.

 

[_JP_]

If you don't understand the devices or computer, then don't get your kid one! They can get into trouble without supervision or parental controls. At least limit what can be done with them.

There are some educational apps to install on iPads.

 

[luvmysuper]

This year the 10 yo grandson got NO electronics.
He got a very nice telescope and a see through model of an engine to build with his dad.
He has a laptop, and at his home he has the video games - from console to handheld. But we decided this year to try to give him things that require more interaction than passively sitting and being fed from an LCD viewscreen.
We can tend to go overboard with the electronics and games and put the young ones in a position where they're stuck inside rather than doing stuff.

 

[sychodelix]

I don't do iPads, but my kids do have android tablets. Then again, they're both autistic, so there's good reason for it. My 3 year old can't talk, and barely used to touch things, but now he's learning to operate the tablet. My 9 year old is a computer genius but has serious social problems and goes bonkers unless he has something with him to keep him busy and interested.

I do see your point about some kids getting too involved in tech and missing out on other things. It really depends on the child and what they are being allowed to do (and disallowed from doing)

 

[Kentos]

I would say that in our electronic world the ability to intuitively use devices like tablets, laptops etc. might be beneficial, but not at the expense of learning to read, write and reason.

 

[luvmysuper]

I would say that in our electronic world the ability to intuitively use devices like tablets, laptops etc. might be beneficial, but not at the expense of learning to read, write and reason.

+1

Or learn to interact properly with other human beings.

 

[Mojo88]

My son bought a case for The -I Pad for his 2 year old. It has several games and the I Pad is encased so it won't break and he played with it quite a bit.He knows exactly what to do to with the apps.

We had Curious George on Netflix for him ,there was a gap between episodes and he decided to fix it. At a little over 2 he walked over to the TV and pushed on the promps like it was a I-Pad and said "I'll fix it"

He also has a blend of toys that allow him to burn off energy, I think that is needed. In todays world computer skills are essential and I-Pads give them a chance to get experience .With that said physical activity is needed as well as simple things like building blocks and playing with cars.

 

[maxman]

Our 3 year old plays with our ipad. If you do let them play with it, restrict the in app purchases and the itunes store password timeout.
you might just wake up the next morning with a bill from apple. Trust me, i know.

We keep a pretty tight leash on her using the ipad and ipod. Any whining about it means she gets it taken away.
we dont have netflix and youtube is restricted, so she plays princess dress up games and these books that read to you.

control the technology. Dont let it control you. Ipads and other such devices are here to stay. Kids need every advantage they can get in this world in my opinion. You have the power to control it.

 

[luvmysuper]

Our 3 year old plays with our ipad. If you do let them play with it, restrict the in app purchases and the itunes store password timeout.
you might just wake up the next morning with a bill from apple. Trust me, i know.

We keep a pretty tight leash on her using the ipad and ipod. Any whining about it means she gets it taken away.
we dont have netflix and youtube is restricted, so she plays princess dress up games and these books that read to you.

control the technology. Dont let it control you. Ipads and other such devices are here to stay. Kids need every advantage they can get in this world in my opinion. You have the power to control it.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/web/toddlers-auction-surprise/2009/05/21/1242498849208.html

 

[Galengwath]

I have a four year old and three year old twins, who get to use my ipad with plenty of restrictions. There are plenty of educational apps out there for them to use, as well as Angry Birds for a particular reward. The fact, as others have mentioned, is that learning to use technology is an important skill, one they will need all their lives. Personally, I want my children to have access to such devices. Of course in moderation, and not unsupervised, and the vast majority of their day is spent doing other things.

 

[maxman]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/web/toddlers-auction-surprise/2009/05/21/1242498849208.html

Wow. Ok I got off easy with only $135 US dollars worth of gems for a My Little Pony game.
Apple refunded my money, but with an understanding that I won't be so fortunate next time.

 

[DonN]

Many good responses emphasizing the need to introduce responsibility, education, & balance in a child’s development ; and I realize that there are many educational apps available but I can’t help but think that many parents , especially those who both work , and even grandparents use the electronic devise be it a DVD player in the van , the home TV , or the Tablet as an easy way to keep the kids busy and out of their way ; to sit down with a child and work a puzzle or play with blocks takes a commitment of time and interest on the part of the adult and it seems like that’s missing in many households today; and I don’t have any statistics and naturally I can’t generalize – it’s just a gut feeling and opinion based on observation of our own family and those of close friends .

 

[DogHair]

We have iPads for the kids. There are restrictions on the devices including purchasing controls. I also filter the Internet via opendns.org. There are some very bad things on the Internet kids shouldn't be able to access. It really doesn't take much work to make them kid safe.

 

[saf]

I just got my daughter a leap pad educational games keeps her entertained when needed. Like everything with kids one just needs to balance it with other activities. I see people who use them as babysitters and that's not OK. I do like that she is learning technology and we can bribe her from throwing fits when we are out to eat.

 

[DonN]

I just got my daughter a leap pad educational games keeps her entertained when needed. Like everything with kids one just needs to balance it with other activities. I see people who use them as babysitters and that's not OK. I do like that she is learning technology and we can bribe her from throwing fits when we are out to eat.

you got my point , using the electronics as babysitters , not good - and congrats to you , it sounds like you're on the right track & using the device when out to dinner is fine - in fact my wife and I could have used the technology years ago when within 2 minutes of sitting down our 2 kids were under the table

 

[dpittman70]

My 3.5 and 1.5 year old play games and listen/watch nursery rhymes on my wife's and my old i-phones. The three year old actually figured out how to watch Spiderman on the netflix app on the phone. I was quite surprised. We don't have an i-pad but they are allowed to use one at their grandparents' house (with restrictions). My wife heard a story on NPR about the pitfalls of youtube use for children. Now she doesn't allow youtube for the kids on our laptop. My 3 year old has a computer class at his daycare .

I love when we sit down and do puzzles, train tracks, or play baseball/soccer outside. And I love when my son and daughter shave with me.

 

[dklaiman]

Our school district is starting a pilot program through which all the students are given iPads. I think it's with the ultimate goal of going paperless, as well as putting restrictions on the iPads to reduce cheating--all tests will be taken on them. Our kindergartener gets his in January.