RaduTyrsina
News Team
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Ever since smartphones and tablets have been launched, there's been an ongoing debate of their effect on the growth of kids, especially toddlers and those under two years. Some health experts and doctors have been saying that exposure to such devices is a negative thing, while others are saying that it doesn't harm if it the use is moderated. P[/FONT]ediatrician Dimitri A. Christakis, an expert on the effects of media on children and one of the main contributors of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on restricting media use by children aged younger than 2 years, says that 30 to 60 minutes per day spent using an iPad or a similar device like a smartphone or another tablet, won't interfere with the child's natural growth. He says that a special attention should be given to the activity that the little one is engaged while interacting with, as interacting with a game on an iPad or other tablet is quite different from just sitting and viewing a screen.
Of course, health experts still advise that children’s use of such devices should be closely monitored and that limits should be set so that device time doesn’t interfere with the social and physical activities. What do you think - what's your take on this subject?
Ever since smartphones and tablets have been launched, there's been an ongoing debate of their effect on the growth of kids, especially toddlers and those under two years. Some health experts and doctors have been saying that exposure to such devices is a negative thing, while others are saying that it doesn't harm if it the use is moderated. P[/FONT]ediatrician Dimitri A. Christakis, an expert on the effects of media on children and one of the main contributors of the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on restricting media use by children aged younger than 2 years, says that 30 to 60 minutes per day spent using an iPad or a similar device like a smartphone or another tablet, won't interfere with the child's natural growth. He says that a special attention should be given to the activity that the little one is engaged while interacting with, as interacting with a game on an iPad or other tablet is quite different from just sitting and viewing a screen.
He also points out that when the AAP Council on Communications and Media updated the original 1999 guidelines, devices such as iPads didn’t exist, and that now, 4 years after the iPad’s debut, we still know relatively little about how these technologies influence the way children’s brains develop and learn. Christakis puts forth that in addition to interactivity, other factors influencing whether media use is beneficial or a waste of time include:
1. Can the device/app respond differently to different actions of the child?
2. Can the device/app behave differently for each child or each time it is used?
3. Can the device/app move a child along a continuum that advances in complexity?
4. Does the device/app enable or facilitate adults and children playing together?
5. Is the device transported easily and available in different venues?
Of course, health experts still advise that children’s use of such devices should be closely monitored and that limits should be set so that device time doesn’t interfere with the social and physical activities. What do you think - what's your take on this subject?