In our era of technological advancement, many parents soothe their crying babies with electronic devices. Some babies choose to play games on their electronics, while others watch Ms. Rachel, a YouTube persona meant to teach children the alphabet, nursery rhymes and more. These “iPad kids” — children who are primarily entertained with digital devices — are typically the result of parents and guardians using screen time to pacify their children and prevent temper tantrums. Though iPads have their perks, including their plethora of entertainment options, the normalization of “iPad babies” often leads to a later dependence on technology for happiness. Although this parenting tactic seems harmless, it could lead to a growing reliance on technology for pleasure.
Relying on technology to entertain children sets them up for a future addiction to screen time and technology. For example, parents give their children an iPad to stop a temper tantrum. As a result, when that child feels upset or even bored, they seek the iPad to soothe the discomfort, which increases stress, anxiety and inattention. Current adults — including millennials and Gen Zers — find themselves on their devices for shockingly large amounts of time. Whether you grew up with limited screen time or were an iPad baby yourself, society’s dependence on technology is undeniable.
The iPad is not only a distracting device for children, but also for college students. In lecture halls, it is common to find peers using iPads to take notes. However, it is also fairly common to find them using iPads to browse the internet or watch sports during class. This trend appears likely to grow worse, as access to technology increases.
The more accessible electronic devices are, the more likely kids are to spend less time with nature and more time scrolling on social media or playing mobile games. These behaviors are known to worsen loneliness and increase anxiety and depression. If parents continue to distract their children with iPads rather than expose them to non-technological solutions, the result could be young adults who rely on platforms like TikTok to occupy themselves — with all the baggage that entails. This might not be bad if they were using it for educational purposes, but they aren’t. A new study suggests that only 25% of U.S. users of the app take advantage of its educational content. The result is adults with short attention spans, struggling to focus on one thing or sit with their own thoughts for long periods of time.
Admittedly, technology is not all bad. Parents in favor of the iPad claim that the device serves as a learning tool for young minds. But, as discussed earlier, most people don’t use it for this purpose. And, there are many other resources with less addictive qualities that are helpful for children’s education. Parents can expose their kids to interactive toys instead of soothing them with a YouTube video. Blocks and clay are good examples of objects that expand children’s cognitive abilities since they allow them to imagine creative ways to play with toys.
Another alternative to iPads is the library. A library, like a device, contains many educational resources, along with entertainment. Local libraries often include an area for kids to find age-appropriate books with colorful spaces where they can sit and read. Although iPads and other devices contain applications with free access to e-books, the library grants children an opportunity to physically experience literature, as well as immerse themselves in a social environment. It is also a place where students — who now heavily rely on the internet for research — should go to take a break from their screens.
Ultimately, the solution is two-fold. When possible, self-control is the best — but oftentimes the hardest — way to reduce the chance of a future full of iPad adults. It is a necessary solution to prevent the development of damaging maladaptive behaviors. These are tendencies aimed at reducing anxiety and stress, but they instead amplify the emotions. Since children, however, are often unable to enforce limitations on themselves, parents should stop using iPads and television screens to cheer them up. Parents should set screen time limits on their kids’ devices, without giving them access to the passcodes.
On the other hand, teenagers and young adults should establish their own limits to screen time to practice self-control. Students who struggle with using their iPad only to take notes can use Apple settings to place a time limit on other apps during scheduled classes. If you tend to override the screen time limit, you can have a trusted friend or family member set the passcode so it is enforced. And maybe instead of endlessly scrolling on our devices as a distraction, we can turn to other solutions such as a walk around campus or picking up a pen and paper.
If we stop normalizing the rise of iPad babies, we can reduce the risk of a future run by iPad adults. It is important that we practice self-control when it comes to technology to prevent an unhealthy reliance on it for happiness.
Giselle Sesi is an Opinion Columnist who writes about the overlap between politics and the human condition. She can be reached at gigisesi@umich.edu.
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