Do you ever wonder how other families are using technology? I do. I’ve been thinking about the implications of screen time ever since I became a parent. I wonder how strict or mellow I should be about media, and how to strike a healthy balance that works for both me and the kids. For those of you who also think about this stuff, come with me for a minute so we can explore the thought process…
I’ve been especially attentive to the subject of screen time after talking with our school’s kindergarten teacher. With 25 years of teaching experience, she has observed a decrease in vocabulary and verbal abilities of incoming students over the past five years. Her school children just aren’t as good at talking and vocalizing as they used to be.
As I consider potential reasons for the trend with local kindergarteners, I remind myself not to jump to conclusions. My knee-jerk reaction is that opportunities for verbalization are inversely proportional to available screentime. In other words, the more kids use screens, the less they use their own voices. But that’s just me, probably being more fearful than rational.
I tackled this topic in more detail at a recent app developer MeetUp. The guest speakers (from Morning2Moon Productions) are speech-language pathologists who teamed up to create an app. They detailed methods for using the iPad during therapy, and explained how one of their goals is to “extend the app learning and anchor it to real-life experiences”. So for example, they may show a child Toca Tea Party on the iPad, and then transition with the child to a real-life tea set to extend the pretend play experience. Their intention is for the sessions to become richly verbal, and for them, the iPad is the tool which offers an endless supply of talking points.
After confessing my kindergarten-teacher-dilemma to these child development specialists, I felt rather foolish about my knee-jerk reaction. Screens are diverse, with a variety of shapes, sizes, functions, and applications. Some screens are babysitters. Some screens are portals to speech and communication. Some screens have users who could care less about the content. Some screens are specifically purposed to be learning supplements. Some screens are all of the above, either simultaneously or at different times.
About a month ago, I reached out to our Moms With Apps Facebook community to ask how they use the iPad in their homes. This is a summary of results from the 20 families who participated in our impromptu poll:
TIME: Families spend between 15 minutes to 3 hours per day, with some exceptions. What’s unknown is whether families are classifying this iPad time as “screen time”.
AGE: The primary audience seems to be for kids ages two to eight years old. Older children are in need of specific apps targeted to grade or difficulty levels.
USES: Families are using the iPad for various reasons:
- As part of a student’s therapy or IEP (Individual Education Plan)
- For entertainment while traveling, commuting, in restaurants, or in waiting rooms
- For a communication device in families with special needs
- For positive reinforcement, such as a reward for good behavior
- For doing family activities together
- For summer bridge: to complete learning objectives while kids are off school for the summer
- For engaging, educational activities
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: Most parents responded that they are “around” when kids are using touchscreens, but that kids are perfectly able to navigate by themselves. Parents are trying to balance their involvement with independence.
We know that the developmental milestones for young children, as described by the Mayo Clinic, include language, social, cognitive, and physical goals (so walking, talking and playing can be REALLY good activities for little kids). Somewhere between walking, talking, playing, AND tapping – is a good combination. Our job, is to find it.
Lorraine Akemann | Editor | Moms With Apps
Great post! As a technology geek who has spent his career in technology and software development, I spend a lot of time in front of one type of screen or another and I’ve always been sensitive to the amount of time my kids use of technology because of the example I inadvertently set for them. I introduced them to technology very early on and have always put in place restrictions to prevent over-use. We also limit the technology to family areas – no TV, Video Games or Computers in the bedrooms. This way my wife and I can “monitor” their use. Technology is like anything else. Too much of a good thing is not so good.
Nice article! A few weeks ago I borrowed my iPad to my 14 year ols son to take with him on a weekend. He joined MUN (model united nations) and liked to use the iPad for research and making notes. I trust him to look after the ipad welle and not opening my mail and twitter. We both use different twitter accounts and promised to respect each others privacy.
Thanks for the interesting post.
I agree with Jim above that it’s important to keep screens out of bedrooms, especially since by the time kids are adolescents they’ll be using their ‘screens’ (in whatever form) to communicate with friends, which inevitably means with bullies as well. Best to keep bully behaviour right out of the bedroom, I feel, so that teenagers can maintain one last refuge. Perhaps, since screens are increasingly used to read books on (in bed?), then ‘wireless-less’ bedrooms might be a better strategy.
Thanks for a thought provoking post as usual.
I was inspired to turn my children’s book into a book app when I saw my son choose stories over games on the iPad. Miracle!
So I don’t count storybook apps as part of screen time for my kids.
And I’m with you on needing to claim my iPad back from my kids. Whenever I can’t find, I just have to go to their rooms!
Another area that is becoming underdeveloped due to technology is handwriting skills. It has been discovered that many children on the fifth and sixth grades cannot even sign their own names except with the computer. It is important to not let this trend continue.
Thanks for this informal research! I’m also curious to know how, exactly, parents interact with kids. I can think of many more research questions that come out of this: Are parents coaching, and letting the kids do the interacting, or are they playing along and touching the screen as well? Are parents simply letting kids do their own thing, and not interacting in general? Which apps are best suited for playing together?
Great post. While apps are great for kids, we need to remember that they are not baby-sitters. I constantly check on my 5-year old when she’s on the iPod, phone or computer.
I also agree with Jim, no television or computer in the bedroom.
Thanks all for your comments. Phyllis, those observations about what kids can and cannot do (handwriting, for example) are important to capture. I’m hoping that research focuses on these observations so parents can better understand the impact, and methods for course correction, if necessary.
To be honest, I always feel a little uncomfortable writing posts like this. As I’ve said before, I’m just a parent, and these are merely my opinions that I’m voicing through the blog. I’m guided by my own field experience with apps, and my own instincts on parenting. I’m continually led to two things: 1) parents need to keep up with technology’s advances so we can understand it alongside our children, 2) we need to continue to be well-rounded with all aspects of life, in hopes that tech brings out more real-life experiences, not less.
The other day, for example, I was working with my younger daughter on letter tracing. The iPad was one tool, blank white paper was another tool, and some schoolwork from the year before was a tool. We worked together at the table to review letters and words. It was a fun activity, and it was good to feel that the iPad was another option, in addition to my voice, a pencil/paper, and our teacher’s materials. It didn’t override the experience, but it added to the experience.
Good luck to all of the parents and teachers and educators out there who are wading their way through these tools. It’s an important conversation! 🙂
Lorraine
Would it be worth us creating some more scientific research perhaps in the form of an annual Moms with Apps survey? I think our combined responses would make for some really valuable insights.
Cheers
Justine
Great post. I identify myself with the points that iPad in my home is used both as an educational tool (learning Japanese, Maths, Star gazing etc.) and also reward for good behavior (like completing homework, listening to parents), and also conversely as punishment (no ipad for 2 days – grounded! when children demonstrate bad behavior).
As a parent, I want my children to be comfortable with new technologies (not that they have difficulty with it) and also to grow to become developers/ entrepreneurs and think about how to use it to enrich their lives. I also feel that the iPad (or any computer) provides a special opportunity for families to bond by playing same games while also teaching children important life skills like to win through practice or lose with grace.
http://issuu.com/laurawright/docs/elementary_ipad
The last point on the list says engaging, educational activities… I wrote this little booklet (all free, not trying to sell anything!) a little while ago for a few friends that asked what we use with our 4 year old son. Hope you find it useful.