<p>When I was out with my niece and her 15 month old yesterday, my niece put on Sesame Street on her phone for her daughter when she became restless. It worked but it alarmed me a little bit. I noticed that when I am at restaurants or at shopping malls, alot of these little ones are playing or watching their parents’ phones. I also know that many young parents have tv systems in their cars and vans to keep their kids entertained even on the shortest rides. If kids are entertained constantly and have no time to be bored, will they know how to pretend…know how to sit still…know how to dream? I love technology but am concerned at how it will effect future generations. Will their brains be “rewired” because of all this stimulation? Am I right to be alarmed?</p>
<p>Research from the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics):
Children under age 1 1/2 can’t follow/ understand all the transitions on the screen. In a study children ages 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 2 years watch a Teletubbies video forward and backwards. Children 6 and 12 months responded the same whether the video was shown in sequence or not. Point - screen time may be entertaining but is not educational.</p>
<p>Research also shows many other negatives of screen time for children under age 2 including:
-Short term expressive language delays.
-Less “parent talk” - when the “screen” is on, 84% of parents talk less to their child.
-Screens encourage distraction and effects solitary play. Children who are in a room with a tv on (even if the show is not for them) look up from playing 3x a minute to see what is going on on the screen. </p>
<p>Most people are going to use screens with their young children at some point. Most of us did. The message you need to send to people like your niece is that it is very important to LIMIT the time and to inform her that for very young children, the screen time may be entertaining for a while but is not educational.</p>
<p>The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends ZERO screen time for children two years old and younger. Young children need to be in an environment rich in sensory motor, social and language experiences. As an alternative to screens, try manipulatives. Parents can carry a little bag with a variety of objects to explore with the hands. These toy bags come in handy and will keep a child interested for a while. Singing (with finger plays) and reading books are fun for under 2s. This age is a critical time to be very child centered. Exchange caretaking with another family for the times you need to be adult centered.</p>
<p>My niece is a good mother and probably knows the recommendations. I know she does not use screen time very much. However, being out with her made me wonder how all this technology that is now always with us can affect the growing mind. I see preschool children and school age children constantly with a device in their hand and wonder how this constant entertainment will affect them later. Will it make it harder to sit in a classroom listening to a teacher who is “boring.” Will it lead to less inventive play?</p>
<p>The problem I see with cell phones is with *parents *talking on them when they are with their kids at the park or on a walk.
Be with your kid.</p>
<p>We can all speculate, but I don’t think anyone has any idea what the long-term effects of all the new technologies will be on kids. Probably a mixed bag of bad and good. Nevertheless, it is going to happen.</p>
<p>Regardless, we all need to remember to read aloud to the little ones. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but it is important.</p>
<p>I was going to write a post but the TV is on, I got a call and I really need to check my e-mail…and I really need to get off CC and get on with my life! Gotta text message my kid and facetime with the other too. Have a few apps to download and upload a few videos. My computer programs are all needing updates. Busy day!</p>
<p>I’m a preschool teacher so I see this every day. We have a carpool line in the afternoons. The moms drive up and I take the kid down to the car and buckle him/her in the car seat. For those that have the dvd players in the car, they are clamoring to have them turned on before I can even get them buckled in. One boy has a little brother less than a year old who is already staring at the screen when I open the door. </p>
<p>I also think this taking a screen along to babysit a kid can be rude. DH and I went out for dinner on Valentine’s Day. A young couple with a preschool age son, sat at the table next to us. As soon as the kid got restless, the mom pulled out her Ipad and set it up on one of those stands. Then she pulled up some cartoon or game (don’t know which) for him to watch complete with volume loud enough to be heard across town. Kid was mesmerized (laughing a lot and talking to the screen) with it while Mom and Dad continued their conversation .</p>
<p>The kid was prob. three to four feet away from me. It kind of spoiled my whole dinner.<br>
I get the whole restless kid thing but the adults need to be more discerning
about when the time is appropriate to use a screen as entertainment.</p>
<p>I don’t have a smart phone but after witnessing preschoolers tear things apart on a daily basis at my job, there is no way I would hand a toddler my expensive phone as a pacifier.</p>
<p>Kids do need to know how to entertaiin themselves quietly. Why not have a picture book to look at?</p>
<p>Remember “power rangers” videos? (I’m dating myself badly here). Don’t under rate what your kids absorb from videos. My D was very little (4, I think) and my sister expressed concern she was watching too many “power ranger” videos. It had a good message and a “super hero” mentality–what was wrong with that? I pooh-poohed the concern, said “No way, you’re just out of touch”. Until I saw my darling try to high kick some kid at the library…wonder where she learned that? Glad she was only 4…end of videos and a lot more one on one time from there on out!</p>
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<p>I work where our state’s historical society is. I take my breaks in the lobby. Security is CONSTANTLY chasing after kids because their parents are too distracted on their phones to notice where their children are. It makes me so angry.</p>
<p>Once upon a time we often took our KG/Lower School S to a restaurant that used paper table cloths. A set of markers and really good food did the rest. When picking up the empty plates waitresses often looked and praised the results. S and I have no talent whatsoever, but with tons of help of my H the results were great. We had so much fun TOGETHER.
Where we live now it is not uncommon to see a family of 4 having dinner in a nice restaurant while each one individually is doing ‘something’ on his/her phone or other device. They don’t say a word to each other. It’s so sad.</p>
<p>I was out somewhere and the friend I was with had a “Pat the Bunny” app on her IPhone. Give me a break! Certain books are sacred!</p>