Most 2-Years-Olds Use Mobile Media Devices

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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When you talk about a connected generation, I don’t think the connection was supposed to begin at such an early age. A new survey shows that toddlers as young as one year of age are immersed in mobile device use for an hour or more a day.

By age 2, most kids were using mobile devices in some way. Their usage increased as they aged, with 26 percent of 2-year-olds and 38 percent of 4-year-olds using devices for at least an hour a day.
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My daughter took our phones off the coffee table starting at about two and tried to click through icons. I showed her Youtube once and then she started clicking on that if we left our phones sitting. Now she can navigate to Frozen videos on her own. WTF.
 
My kids will not have access to mobile devices until about 5, and even then on a very limited basis. I fucking hate parents that just throw a tablet in front of their kid to shut them up. I am legitimately afraid for this up and coming generation.
 
The study gathered information from 370 parents with children ages 6 months to 4 years old who were at a hospital-based pediatric clinic that serves an urban, low-income, minority community.
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The above quote makes this story pure unadulterated click bait worthy of no one except possibly Kotaku.
 
just the current generation of parents using these devices as cheap babysitters

keeps the kids occupied while they do something else
 
ShadowVlican said:
just the current generation of parents using these devices as cheap babysitters

keeps the kids occupied while they do something else
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That something else is walking, bicycling or driving to the while using their phone and/or tablet. I have seen it all. I have seen these people walk into poles, into bushes, off the sidewalk and faceplant, flip their bikes, drift lanes until the cops pull sirens and "PULL THE HELL OVER" because they're miraculously not crashing while also not looking at the road.

Yes, it sucks for a child to lose its parents.
Yes, it is regretful that Darwin rolls in his grave.
 
Grahamkracka said:
My kids will not have access to mobile devices until about 5, and even then on a very limited basis. I fucking hate parents that just throw a tablet in front of their kid to shut them up. I am legitimately afraid for this up and coming generation.
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I'm one of those parents you fucking hate. I'm not sure how I feel about the topic. On one end I consider that I'm a bad parent as you do. But on the other hand I feel there is a big shift coming with this generation and you can't stop it, so you may as well foster it.

There are no kids outside anymore. You get your kids taken away from you if you DO let them go outside.

I didn't have friends growing up as a small child due to moving periodically, so I had consoles and computers. And now as an adult, computers are a major part of my personal and professional life.

I am very picky about what games and content my children are allowed to play/watch. No violence or obscenities. I even got rid of GTA5 because I didn't like my son walking in while I was playing and hearing the language or seeing the violence.
 
My daughter had figured out how to unlock our phones by 9 months. She liked to press the buttons, see the screen move as she pressed it with her fingers. Pictures were also really fun. However her attention span is not long enough for it to become a baby sitter.
 
Watching my niece and nephew grow up in this day has been really fascinating to me. At 3 and 5, they know how to use an android tablet better than my mom does. My niece to a lesser extent, not by age, but more because it just doesn't interest her as much. My nephew could work his way around my sisters tablet by the time he was two. It was pretty basic, he could find certain games or netflix based on the icons, but still, it's impressive. Maybe bad parenting, but still impressive.
 
Grahamkracka said:
My kids will not have access to mobile devices until about 5, and even then on a very limited basis. I fucking hate parents that just throw a tablet in front of their kid to shut them up. I am legitimately afraid for this up and coming generation.
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When you have a 6 week old newborn with colic who screams 18 hours a day, you havent slept in a month and your 4 yr old asks to watch netflix and you dont let him use the ipad then you can come here and lecture me.
 
docmal said:
When you have a 6 week old newborn with colic who screams 18 hours a day, you havent slept in a month and your 4 yr old asks to watch netflix and you dont let him use the ipad then you can come here and lecture me.
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Good thing you didn't have children before the advent of mobile media. I suppose you'd have just chunked your kids in the nearest river.
 
Grahamkracka said:
My kids will not have access to mobile devices until about 5, and even then on a very limited basis. I fucking hate parents that just throw a tablet in front of their kid to shut them up. I am legitimately afraid for this up and coming generation.
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I don't even want kids, but I've read reports that toddlers that are proficient at tablets have difficulty using building blocks, like the brain is prioritizing tablets as a motor skill. Maybe it will amount to nothing, but to me that sounds terrifying, seems like that could really work against them later in life.
 
tetris42 said:
I don't even want kids, but I've read reports that toddlers that are proficient at tablets have difficulty using building blocks, like the brain is prioritizing tablets as a motor skill. Maybe it will amount to nothing, but to me that sounds terrifying, seems like that could really work against them later in life.
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My 4 yr old and 2 yr old girls can navigate the LeapPad, iPad, iPod Touch, the Galaxy Tab 10 (going straight to Netflix, the local videos or other cloud content), both can stack blocks, color while staying inside the lines, interact with other kids in their age group, shit, they even played Uno with us a few hours ago. We also took a walk earlier, 4 yr old rode her bike with training wheels, 2 yr old rode and pedaled her tricycle. For about a mile.

Our kids are just fine.
 
PNut12345 said:
My 4 yr old and 2 yr old girls can navigate the LeapPad, iPad, iPod Touch, the Galaxy Tab 10 (going straight to Netflix, the local videos or other cloud content), both can stack blocks, color while staying inside the lines, interact with other kids in their age group, shit, they even played Uno with us a few hours ago. We also took a walk earlier, 4 yr old rode her bike with training wheels, 2 yr old rode and pedaled her tricycle. For about a mile.

Our kids are just fine.
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Isn't it amazing how according to all these "internet parents" that these kids with tablets are growing up to be idiots?

My two kids have tablets (gifts by the grandparents mind you) and are excellent builders, drawers, writing skills and they even prefer to play outside! Holy cow these kids are super messed up!

So asshole sarcasm aside these are excellent tools to teach kids time management and a few other skills.
 
tetris42 said:
I don't even want kids, but I've read reports that toddlers that are proficient at tablets have difficulty using building blocks, like the brain is prioritizing tablets as a motor skill. Maybe it will amount to nothing, but to me that sounds terrifying, seems like that could really work against them later in life.
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My 16 month old can eat with a spoon neatly, stack blocks 6 high, walk on the tip of her toes. If playing with a smart phone has done anything to her fine motor skills, it has been to improve them.
 
docmal said:
When you have a 6 week old newborn with colic who screams 18 hours a day, you havent slept in a month and your 4 yr old asks to watch netflix and you dont let him use the ipad then you can come here and lecture me.
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Actually, I do have a 5.5 week old with colic. I'm tired, pissed, and going mildly insane. I still don't change my stance.
 
Nimisys said:
My 16 month old can eat with a spoon neatly, stack blocks 6 high, walk on the tip of her toes. If playing with a smart phone has done anything to her fine motor skills, it has been to improve them.
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You'd be in the minority. My wife is a first grade teacher and she has to deal with the general lack of fine motor control when she gets kids that still don't have enough coordination to hold a pencil and write letters. Kindergarten has turned into teaching kids basic motor skills and school routines, nothing else.
 
And to clarify, I'm not against giving my kids mobile devices because of the motor skill issue (though that is a small concern). I don't wan't my kids only form of entertainment to be a smartphone or iPad. It's instant gratification that will end up turning them into little shits who can't handle not being constantly stimulated with a tiny little screen. I am waiting to introduce at an age where I feel I'd have an easier time teaching the concepts of moderation with such addictive forms of entertainment.
 
^ so that I won't be that asshole parent that has to park my kid with an iPad at a restaurant blaring a bright ass screen at someone else's table and annoying the piss out of them... just so he can be quiet.
 
Mine doesn't play long, minute or two at most, its a distraction when a distraction is needed, not a normal toy. Her actual screen time, in all forms, may not exceed 10 minutes in a day.

However for our friend with an autistic son, the tablet has been amazing for them. However it was not introduced until about 3 1/2.
 
Nimisys said:
Mine doesn't play long, minute or two at most, its a distraction when a distraction is needed, not a normal toy. Her actual screen time, in all forms, may not exceed 10 minutes in a day.

However for our friend with an autistic son, the tablet has been amazing for them. However it was not introduced until about 3 1/2.
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For autistic children I can definitely see the need...I have no ill will towards families affected with that. You take what you can get...
 
I like Grahams way of thinking but it will be interesting to see where we will be at 50 years from now with technology like this being introduced so to kids so young
 
Grahamkracka said:
I am waiting to introduce at an age where I feel I'd have an easier time teaching the concepts of moderation with such addictive forms of entertainment.
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To tell you the truth I find it much easier to teach them good habits early on. Yes tablets are addictive but kids push much harder the older they are and become less responsive to parenting the older they get.

It's also entirely dependant on the kid also so there's not really one method either. Just saying what I have witnessed with my kids.
 
Trimlock said:
To tell you the truth I find it much easier to teach them good habits early on. Yes tablets are addictive but kids push much harder the older they are and become less responsive to parenting the older they get.

It's also entirely dependant on the kid also so there's not really one method either. Just saying what I have witnessed with my kids.
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Yea, it's not like I'm "hey do whatever you want" from day one haha. We'll see I suppose. If they can reliably entertain themselves rather than be entertained by something else before 5...I might introduce earlier. I am kind of a sucker of a dad :eek:
 
Grahamkracka said:
Yea, it's not like I'm "hey do whatever you want" from day one haha. We'll see I suppose. If they can reliably entertain themselves rather than be entertained by something else before 5...I might introduce earlier. I am kind of a sucker of a dad :eek:
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I think it's a dad thing, I'm a sucker too.
 
Grahamkracka said:
^ so that I won't be that asshole parent that has to park my kid with an iPad at a restaurant blaring a bright ass screen at someone else's table and annoying the piss out of them... just so he can be quiet.
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Blaring a bright ass screen ? Lol really. When you go a restaurant what do you see more of? Kids on tablets or adults on phones?
 
We don't yet actively let our 16 month old boy play with our phones, but that's because he'd just wreck them after getting bored by throwing them aside.

He loves pushing buttons and seeing stuff happen on the screen though, obviously, it's shiny, it responds to their actions, it's great.

Congratulations to all the people saying that letting your kids play with tablets / phones is bad, you've become your parents saying that rock 'n roll music is going to be the end of society, and you didn't even notice.

Kids are not going to become stupid just because they do something they enjoy, the key, as always, is moderation, if anything, they're learning the skills they'll need for later, just like we did with computers when we were young.
 
westrock2000 said:
I'm one of those parents you fucking hate. I'm not sure how I feel about the topic. On one end I consider that I'm a bad parent as you do. But on the other hand I feel there is a big shift coming with this generation and you can't stop it, so you may as well foster it.

There are no kids outside anymore. You get your kids taken away from you if you DO let them go outside.

I didn't have friends growing up as a small child due to moving periodically, so I had consoles and computers. And now as an adult, computers are a major part of my personal and professional life.

I am very picky about what games and content my children are allowed to play/watch. No violence or obscenities. I even got rid of GTA5 because I didn't like my son walking in while I was playing and hearing the language or seeing the violence.
Click to expand...

Preparing your kids for the future does not require letting them use touch screen/mobile devices on the daily. Also, kids do not get taken away fro playing outside WTF??!! My son is 5 plays outside constantly, has several friends down the block and they go back and forth from our house to theirs all day without issue. They make up all kinds of games together, have kool-aid stands, dig holes, try to catch animals etc.. etc.. and this is just this spring.

I let my 5 year old play games, he plays minecraft and we have a wii u, but it is limited and we occasionally let him use a kindle to play angry birds etc... but it is nowhere near 1-2 hours a day of doing these things. And the thing is, it isnt even hard to limit these things, its not as if it really takes much effort. Letting your kids just do whatever is just lazy parenting, plain and simple. Our 2 year old, plays no video games whatsoever and doesnt use any devices, just good ol toys, and there is literally no effort involved in preventing him from use mobile devices.
 
Grahamkracka said:
My kids will not have access to mobile devices until about 5, and even then on a very limited basis. I fucking hate parents that just throw a tablet in front of their kid to shut them up. I am legitimately afraid for this up and coming generation.
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I fail to see the danger.. I grew up with lots of TV, and dangerous 'video games' did not turn me stupid, or anything too weird .. a violent alcoholic for a father was of no help though.
To me tablets and phones are the new reality for our kids. For our grandfathers/mother would have been wooden cars and tin toys.. so what? I fail to see how that was 'better' other than looking at it with nostalgic lenses.
 
Draax said:
Blaring a bright ass screen ? Lol really. When you go a restaurant what do you see more of? Kids on tablets or adults on phones?
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You notice the kids with an iPad more often. Especially when they lose their shit when it does something they don't like.
 
Grahamkracka said:
You notice the kids with an iPad more often. Especially when they lose their shit when it does something they don't like.
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Kids lose their shit when something doesn't do what they don't like regardless, iPad or wooden toy, either it's age, or when a bit older, parenting.
 
My kid watches netflix at home but she knows she has to turn it off when we tell her to. We tried to keep her away from all screens until she was 2 as this was what our pediatrician recommended. We are lucky to live in a day and age when we can park our kids in front of this for an hour to get a break. I embrace it.

I reserve my scorn for parents who don't vaccinate their kids.
 
Grahamkracka said:
You notice the kids with an iPad more often. Especially when they lose their shit when it does something they don't like.
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I often see adults loose their shit when things happen that they don't like. They didn't grow up with these tablets. It really boils down to how good at parenting (or even how sane) their parents are.
 
Graham, don't stress over it and don't wait til they're 5. Introduce it early and set limits. One, it will teach them self control if you're not using it as a babysitter but rather an entertainment/learning tool for 15 minutes. Two, make sure their exposure to it isn't obsessive. Make sure he/she understands that the tablet is only to be used when you want them to use it (and how you want them to use it).

When their motor skills are ready for it, try a letter & shape tracing app. Talk about being engaged!

As long as you are guiding them, their is nothing wrong with a child using a tablet.
 
Grahamkracka said:
You notice the kids with an iPad more often. Especially when they lose their shit when it does something they don't like.
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Kids will be kids ... IMO parents are letting their kids use these devices, in restaurants, so that they don't act out, as there are far too many rude people intolerant of kids .... acting like kids.
 
Draax said:
Kids will be kids ... IMO parents are letting their kids use these devices, in restaurants, so that they don't act out, as there are far too many rude people intolerant of kids .... acting like kids.
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Yup one is my step dad, he will go as far as calling the manager over and refuse to pay the bill unless they move the family with the kids away from him.
 
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