The tablet trap: Why tech is no substitute for a story
In the car. Waiting in a restaurant. At the dentist. On a flight.
Handing our kids a tablet or smartphone in any situation where they might get bored and restless has become a 21st Century parenting go-to – but it comes with a whole load of guilt.
As parents, we’re under intense pressure to ‘do it all’ – work as if we don’t have children, and raise our kids as if we don’t have jobs (while keeping them quiet and settled in public places). Is it really so bad if we use iPads to help us stay sane? Let’s take a look at the evidence.
First up: how much device usage is too much?
In 2019, the World Health Organisation issued its first ever guidelines for childrens’ screen time, advocating a ‘less is better’ approach. According to their advice, children under 2 should have no screen time at all; while children aged 2-4 should have no more than one hour per day.
So what if your child exceeds the recommended amount?
Well first of all, take comfort that you’re not alone.
A 2021 study of around 700 Finnish children, published by researchers at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, found that 95% of the preschool children in the research sample exceeded the daily recommended use of e-media set by health professionals.
Can screen time harm my child?
Unfortunately for frazzled parents and iPad obsessed kids, the answer is a fairly solid ‘yes’. Researchers in the Finnish study looked at the physical, psychological and emotional effects screen time had on the children in the study. They found that:
Letting toddlers play frequently on tablets, phones and game consoles could be putting them at a higher risk of emotional and behavioural problems when they start school.
Pre-schoolers who use electronic media are a lot are more likely to have hyperactivity issues, a short attention span, poor concentration and peer relationship issues by the age of five.
Watching lots of TV at five years old also increased children’s risk of developing a range of psychosocial problems.
Playing video games had fewer associations but was linked to hyperactivity.
Separate research has also found that excessive sedentary screen time is associated with childhood obesity.
By contrast, decades of research into reading books with children found the opposite.
Children who grow up with books are shown to have better concentration, attention span, memory and vocabulary. They are better communicators, forming friendships and resolving conflicts more easily. They have better imaginations, and engage in creative, active play more often.
So do we have to throw away the iPad?
No. There’s no harm in handing a young child a phone or tablet from time to time, to keep them occupied for a short while, but it’s important to keep the guidelines in mind and remember that golden rule: less is best.
As an alternative to screens, encourage your child to develop a love of books. They’re easy to carry around, and versatile in a whole range of situations, from waiting rooms to public transport. You don’t even have to bring a book – kids love a made-up story, and as they grow, they’ll surprise you with their own imaginative tales. You can even use simple tools like story cubes to spark their creativity.
When you DO rely on screen time, remember that quality matters. Choose content for your child that has educational value and when possible, treat screen time as you would story time – watch with them, encourage discussion and make it an interactive, bonding experience.
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