It is my belief that technology has become more prominent in todays society. Not just in the home, office or business but more importantly effecting our children and their education. Many children are being influenced by technology, however is this a positive or negative effect?
In my opinion technology is extremely important however technology is taking over and causing children to lack social skills and have poor communication.
The article I read discussed how studies have been conducted and results have shown that children under 2 should have little to no screen time. However, this study has not specifically been conducted using an interactive screen, such as an iPad. Several apps have been created to aid in the development of hand-eye coordination and speech development, but nothing can truly replace human or parent interaction with children.
As someone who works in childcare, I see it very often that children under age 5 have their own iPads or iPods. I believe it is great that parents are trying to enhance their child's education, but there is so much more children can access on these devices. Without the proper restrictions and limits children can become exposed to way more than they should be at a given age. Not only is expose an issue, but the lack of exposure to socialization. By giving children an iPad you are giving them a screen, which is no replacement for a person. Children are lacking the social skills needed just to carry on an everyday conversation.
So what do you think? Should a young child have their own iPad?
Children today are spending too much time in front of screens which can cause inactivity and lead to obesity if not monitored closely. Having said that, I do believe that it is important to expose children to different types of technology early on so they are prepared to adapt. Parents know their children best, and they need to look at their child's maturity and development level. The purchase of an IPad is expensive and parents need to decide; Is my child really going to get value out of this? My feeling is that once a child leaves elementary school he or she is most likely old enough to handle a tablet. If an IPad is shared with the family, limited, and monitored closely by the parents I see no problem with allowing children to learn how to use it so they become comfortable using technology.In an article that I read researchers discovered, that while excessive TV watching slightly increased a child's risk of conduct problems, age appropriate digital games did not. It claimed that these digital games fostered their creativity. IPads are now even used in the classroom, under teacher superision. I believe that the parents play an important role in introducing and monitoring technology in their child's life, setting ground rules, and helping them to make wise choices.
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