Tablets and Young Children: Points to Consider

At a glance

More and more young children are into games and apps on tablets. A good thing, or a danger?

More and more young children are into games and apps on electronic tablets. Is this a good thing for them, or a danger?

Giving "the trendy gadget"

Birthdays, St Nicholas Day and the end-of-year holidays lead many parents to buy "high-tech" and "trendy" gifts for their children. Every year, more and more tablets, iPads and other touchscreen devices are given to increasingly young children.

Is it really the best gift?

Far from wanting to stir up controversy, we've gathered some arguments and conclusions from various specialist sites and blogs where paediatricians, psychologists and parents have given their opinion.

Some positive points

Electronic devices have a positive educational effect and let children get to grips with modern technology from a very young age.
The tablet is an interesting complementary tool alongside other sources of stimulation such as paper books, toys, board games, etc. A good app can encourage a child to discover, learn and communicate.
Electronic devices can hold children's attention and set them certain educational challenges (e.g. completing a puzzle) that they'll accept more readily than with other traditional tools or methods.
The tablet as a reward or as a punishment tool: since children love this kind of modern gadget, some parents use access to tablet games to reward the child, or conversely to "punish" them by banning or limiting its use.
The tablet is a tool that lets a child keep themselves occupied without parents necessarily having to stay by their side. It can therefore be used to keep children occupied anywhere and at any time (at home, in the car, at a restaurant, etc...).

Some negative points

The tablet will never replace other types of sensory activity (e.g. looking at something other than a flat screen, touching objects, smelling, tasting, ...) or physical activities.
The child risks spending a lot of time in front of their screen, which increases their dependency, especially if they have a large number of apps and games available.
All the time spent in front of a console or tablet is time during which the child can't take part in other types of activity essential to their personal development (play, social contact, interaction, and even sleep!).
A bright screen can "strain" the eyes prematurely, and the sounds a tablet emits may possibly have a negative effect on hearing if they're too loud or listened to through headphones!

From what age?

According to most specialists, it is neither useful nor advisable to give a tablet to children under 3. At this age, a tablet adds no value compared to classic learning toys.
From age 3 to 6, it's not recommended to give a child their own personal tablet. Any use should preferably be supervised and time-limited (some say no more than 30 min/day).
From age 6, it's important to make sure the child can regulate their own tablet use: they need to learn to limit their screen time, vary the apps they use, and balance their activities. From this age, it's important that the child doesn't become dependent. So be careful about use during the day and 'sneaky' use at night!

Conclusions

Using a tablet doesn't necessarily have a negative effect, as long as:

you choose a device and apps suited to the child's age
you raise the child's awareness and make them responsible as early as possible regarding the types of apps used and the time spent (maximum time per day). Watch out if you try to negotiate: children are often the most stubborn negotiators!
you avoid as much as possible passive apps that require no interaction from the child. Don't forget that the tablet often adds to other passive activities such as television, videos on computers, etc.
you install parental controls (so preferably no internet access!)
you encourage your child to vary their activities (games, sport, contact with others, sharing, physical exercise or relaxing outdoors, etc)
your young child understands that a tablet is not an object like any other, since it's fragile and expensive: so it's not meant to be "hit" or used with hands covered in jam or chocolate!