The iPad: A help or hindrance for a child’s development?
As technology continues to develop, children’s use of tablets has increased dramatically. Combined with the time spent watching TV, children are being increasingly exposed to media use and ‘screen time’(1). The question is, is this helping or hindering the child’s learning development? The answer does not have to be complicated, as studies have demonstrated that if used in a thoughtful and responsible way, technology can have a positive impact on language(2) and early literacy development(3). More specifically, interactive and socially contingent media can facilitate memory retention and be just as effective as real-life encounters for language development in young children(4).
Still, while parents believe media exposure is vital for their child’s development, many disagree with recommended ‘screen time’ guidelines(5). For children aged 2-5, this should be limited to 1 hour per day. This is crucial because excessive screen use has been associated with several health and developmental risks(6), including delayed social-emotional development(7), which affects day-to-day social interaction. Still, the strongest predictors of child screen time are their parent’s attitudes and screen time(8). This highlights the influential role of the parent, hence when restrictions are enforced, it can often lead to increased parent-child conflict(9).
Due to this, when developing mediation strategies to reduce or optimise screen time, they need to be co-constructed by parents and children to agree alternatives that work for them both(10). An important consideration for this is acknowledging the difference between active and passive screen time. Active screen time is cognitively or physically engaging in screen-based activities, while passive screen time involves sedentary screen-based activities, such as watching TV(11). Prioritising active screen time will help enhance the potential learning benefits of the child’s media use(11).
In addition to this, children who co-used their tablet with their parents had reduced conflict(9). More importantly, active joint engagement in media content developed for young children can promote learning development by helping them understand what they are seeing, and apply it to the world around them(12). However, this effect is reversed for joint engagement in media content developed for adults(12). Therefore, effective co-use of media may be a function of parents’ time spent with media and their availability to engage with appropriate content(13, 14). Still, as availability may be limited for some parents, when possible, it is crucial that parent-child screen time is optimised.
Nonetheless, should a young child develop a language impairment, an effective treatment option is Parent-Child Interaction Therapy(15). This develops the parents’ communication and interaction skills to provide the child with a language rich environment, and has a positive effect on numerous aspects of social interaction(15). Overall, parents should be aware of the impact of handing over an iPad to their child and understand how to optimise screen time to ensure it is beneficial for their learning development.
References
1. Ofcom. (2017). Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report.
2. Dore, R., Zosh, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2017, 1 1). Plugging Into Word Learning: The Role of Electronic Toys and Digital Media in Language Development. Cognitive Development in Digital Contexts, 75-91.
3. Neumann, M. (2016, 6 1). Young children's use of touch screen tablets for writing and reading at home: Relationships with emergent literacy. Computers & Education, 97, 61-68.
4. Radesky, J., Schumacher, J., & Zuckerman, B. (2015, 1 1). Mobile and Interactive Media Use by Young Children: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown. Pediatrics, 135(1), 1-3.
5. Vittrup, B., Snider, S., Rose, K., & Rippy, J. (2016, 3 15). Parental perceptions of the role of media and technology in their young children’s lives. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 14(1), 43-54.
6. Radesky, J., & Christakis, D. (2016, 10 1). Increased Screen Time. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 63(5), 827-839.
7. Raman, S., Guerrero-Duby, S., McCullough, J., Brown, M., Ostrowski-Delahanty, S., Langkamp, D., & Duby, J. (2017, 11 1). Screen Exposure During Daily Routines and a Young Child’s Risk for Having Social-Emotional Delay. Clinical Pediatrics, 56(13), 1244-1253.
8. Lauricella, A., Wartella, E., & Rideout, V. (2015, 1 1). Young children's screen time: The complex role of parent and child factors. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 36, 11-17.
9. Beyens, I., & Beullens, K. (2017, 12 1). Parent–child conflict about children’s tablet use: The role of parental mediation. New Media & Society, 19(12), 2075-2093.
10. Smahelova, M., Juhová, D., Cermak, I., & Smahel, D. (2017, 11 23). Mediation of young children’s digital technology use: The parents’ perspective. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 11(3).
11. Sweetser, P., Johnson, D. M., Ozdowska, A., & Wyeth, P. (2012). Active versus passive screen time for young children. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(4), 94-98.
12. Pempek, T., & Lauricella, A. (2017, 1 1). The Effects of Parent-Child Interaction and Media Use on Cognitive Development in Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. Cognitive Development in Digital Contexts, 53-74.
13. Connell, S., Lauricella, A., & Wartella, E. (2015, 1 2). Parental Co-Use of Media Technology with their Young Children in the USA. Journal of Children and Media, 9(1), 5-21.
14. Skaug, S., Englund, K., Saksvik-Lehouillier, I., Lydersen, S., & Wichstrøm, L. (2018, 4 1). Parent-child interactions during traditional and interactive media settings: A pilot randomized control study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(2), 135-145.
15. Allen, J., & Marshall, C. (2010, 10 18). Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in school-aged children with specific language impairment. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 101018023331052.