The Pros and Cons of iPads and iPhones for Children

Everyone just adores the sight of their toddler playing on an iPad or an iPhone these days. But there are Pros and Cons of iPads and iPhones for Children. Many parents find these gadgets a great way to distract their children, as they try to complete all their house chores while keeping their mischievous toddler in sight.

While many claim that having toddlers use new technology at a young age is a great way to familiarize them with the latest gadgets in the market, others adopt a more concerned approach. Some believe that exposing children to technology at such a tender age, is like taking away their innocent childhood from them, while others want their children to be prepared for the highly technological driven age which is the future of the upcoming generations.

There are pros and cons linked to the use of iPads and iPhones by children, and used in moderation and in the right way, these gadgets can help parents stimulate the creativity of their children and also ensure proper physical, emotional and cognitive development of their kids.

iPhone in the Hands of Your Toddler – Is It A Major Problem?

You may be one of those parents who completely freak out when they see their one year toddler playing with your shiny iPhone or iPad. Or you may belong to that group of moms and dads who simply fall in love with the sight of their little toddler twiddling their tiny fingers on the touch screen of their iPad or iPhone.

Whatever your preference, it is not a major problem if your toddler decides to take that shiny exciting thing lying on the sofa into their hands, which shows such amazing colors on the screen! Even you are attracted to it right, so why be surprised at the preference of your toddler?

While using the gadget is not a major problem, you probably wouldn’t want your two year old to spend hours fiddling with the thing. It is definitely not something that any toddler should spend hours doing. Rest assured, it is quite common for toddlers to pick up and fiddle with anything that is shiny and has sounds and pictures, so just don’t worry too much if you see the child trying to play around with your iPhone.

If you are an anxious parent who wants to know the pros and cons of your child playing around with these gadgets, then read on below.

Benefits of Using Gadgets for Toddlers

Using sophisticated technology has got to come with a list of advantages, and if your toddler likes to use the iPhone or iPad, then there are certainly some benefits linked to the activity which you can count on. These include things like,

Ideal for Use by Those Little Fingers

What could be a better gadget than your iPhone to be handled by those tiny fingers? The specific gadget shape makes it real easy to be picked up and fiddled with by your two year old, as they explore the technological tool and enhance their learning in an interesting way.

Help Develop Some Fine Motor Skills

Using the device buttons and trying and succeeding to eventually get the desired results, helps develop fine motor skills in the child. They learn the use of their fingers and also associate learning and cognitive growth with the use of the gadget.

Choice Emergency Distraction Tool

Do you have to take care of some work urgently? Want to distract your child and prevent them from throwing a major tantrum in a public area? Then your iPhone can do wonders. It can act as your emergency distraction tool, which will help soothe those ruffled feelings and stop those tears welling up in the eyes of your toddler.

Easy To Carry Around For You

This emergency distraction tool is very easy to carry around with you, and you can leave it within hand’s reach of your child at home, with no major worries. This way, you also get to benefit from its advantages, by taking care of your stuff and soothing the kid at the same time.

Familiarity with Latest Technology

The toddler will learn about technology and creative ways to enhance their learning about the world and their surroundings, just as you learnt how to use new technological gadgets with practice.

All these benefits do show that the use of iPads by children is not that bad after all, but you do need to realize that it is only true if used in moderation.

Cons of using iPads for Children

The unchecked use of iPhones, iPads or any other technological gadget by children is not a good idea. Moderation is key, and there are certain cons linked with the use of such gadgets by toddlers, that parents need to watch out for.

Expensive Toy for a Toddler!

If your child has a habit of throwing their toys around just like other kids their age, you might want to reconsider your decision of letting them play with your iPhone. It can prove to be quite an expensive toy for a toddler to break, which can burn a hole in your pocket!

Addictive Technology

Even adults get glued to new apps and the latest gadgets, so there is a high risk that your toddler may develop an addiction for the technology, which can lead to them spending hours glued to the tiny screen in their hands.

While technology is a good way to give a boost to the educational experience of your child, but having a child addicted to technology is not a healthy option, as the habit will meddle with the physical and cognitive development of the child.

Negative Impact on Behaviour

Spending long hours playing with the gadget can reduce active play time which can increase the risk of obesity in children. Different games and apps also enhance the aggressive symptoms in children, while some have been reported to decrease their resistance to peer pressure later.

Also, besides becoming aggressive in mood and getting cranky when asked to put down the devices, children are also at a risk of being exposed to different content which in highly age inappropriate. Children also get less social exposure with children their own age when they do not indulge in active play time. All this can affect the behavioral development of the child.

Considering all the pros and cons of the use of iPhones and iPads by children, one can draw a conclusion that technology used in moderation can help reap benefits while excessive use can lead to problematic consequences. It is thus, important for parents to keep a sharp lookout and check on what their child is doing with the device to ensure a safe and beneficial experience.

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