iPad Addition - A Problem?
Tuesday 7th of May 2013 | Category: Pregnancy News | Written by: Alice EdwardsThe Sunday Mirror recently reported Britain had found its youngest known iPad addict. A 4-year old girl was being treated for iPad addiction after spending more than 4 hours a day on it and becoming 'distressed and inconsolable' when it was taken away. She used the device since the age of three, and is now being treated as an outpatient by psychiatrist Dr Richard Graham from London's Capio Nightingale Hospital.
Although this sounds alarming, Dr Graham is keen to point out that he wouldn't class her as an 'addict', and believes the story to have been exaggerated and blown out of proportion. He instead believes overuse of iPads in young children is a 'worrying trend', and believes that if the problem isn't tackled early on, it could become a bigger problem later in childhood: "Although at this stage her use (of the iPad) isn't a sufficient concern to warrant in-patient care, it would be if her addiction continues to the age of 11, when she has access to other platforms like ¬smartphones and the internet.
Are iPad's Helpful?
With more and more people buying iPads and smartphones and other tablets, children are spending more time watching screens than ever before (as show in our recent findings on Babies.co.uk), a fact which games companies are well too aware of, increasingly targeting advertising at children for games or apps. Children also see their parents using iPads, iPhones and tablets and want to use them too. Tanith Carey believes these devises have become the new dummies, and 'that children's brains are being rewired to want instant gratification with the touch of a screen'.
My daughter has been fascinated by iPhones and iPads since she was born, and it's easy to see why; from the moment babies can control their fingers, they can move the screen, change the colour and sounds coming from the screen, explore cause and effect by using the touchscreen, and watch the images moving around on the screen. Unlike the TV, which only involves sitting and watching, children interact with the iPad, and enjoy the feeling of knowing they are controlling it.
The "iNanny"
In an article published by The Guardian, Emma Cook refers to iPads as the 'iNanny', and believes it's the parent's addiction to these devices that are the root cause of their offspring's dependency: 'Parents are as childishly enthralled as their teenage sons and tiny babies, which is why they have infiltrated family life on such an unprecedented scale - over 100m iPads had sold worldwide by last year'. So what can parents do to ensure we don't have a nation full of iPhone addicts? Rose Luckin says, "In all the time I've been studying technology and family, the most overwhelmingly successful approach is when you open it up with your children, find out how it works, understand what's good and bad and all engage with it."
Luckily for parents who are enjoying the peace and quiet these devises affords them, Luckin believes there are positive aspects to touchscreen usage, and that they can encourage social interaction when used together with other family members: "One of the key benefits is that they can become a focus for discussion between parents and children. These devices are easy to share - they are not as isolating as PCs used to be. They are a window to a larger experience that can connect you to different parts of family life - pictures, videos, books, learning." Many apps and games can be educational and enjoyable for children. My daughter loves a game on the iPad where she draws pictures with her fingertips, but these games should never replace actually doing it in reality, rather than on a screen.
So your child is unlikely to turn into an iPad 'addict' if you let them use the iPad occasionally, and this recent story doesn't mean you shouldn't let your child within a ten foot radius of a tablet or smartphone ever again. Rather parents should be warned of the importance of setting sensible viewing limits. These devises can be a tool for social interaction as well as learning, and the odd ten minute program or game while you put the dinner on isn't going to result in addiction, but the key is to use them in the correct way, as children become rather obsessed with the instant gratification they provide. Don't leave your smartphone or tablet lying around, and don't use it in front of your children.
The other key is to impose reasonable limits on usage. There are no guidelines on how much time children should spend on smart devises, so it's up to parents to decide, but as a guide, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises children under 2 watch no TV at all, while older children shouldn't watch more than 1 or 2 hours a day. Decide how much time you are going to allow your child to spend on the iPad per day and stick to it. If tears and tantrums erupt when you take the device away, don't give in! Don't let your children use these devices during family meals, and have set times for iPad viewing. If you feel your child is becoming too attached to a device, reduce the time you allow them to spend on it, or in extreme cases of smartphone dependency when allowing it in moderation doesn't work, ban it completely. Remember that you are your child's role model, and they learn by example, so make sure you aren't surgically attached to your iPad or phone!
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