How Do IPads And Smartphones Affect Children Under 2 Years Of Age?

The use of electronic devices by children has been much discussed from different points of view. In this article, we specifically discuss how iPads and smartphones affect children under the age of 2, in terms of health and social interaction.

Those who warn us about the possible health risks often support their argument based on signs of major conditions, such as tumors and cancer. However, it is also a valid point to say that so far no conclusive results have been found in the study, to indicate that this is the case.

In any case, you can never be too careful, especially if we consider the following to be verifiable arguments.

It has been said that unrestricted use of electronic devices, including smartphones and iPads, contributes to physical inactivity, which is one of the main causes of obesity in the world, whose rates have been undeniably rising, especially among children and young people.

From a social point of view, criticism has been directed at the lack of socialization, which is encouraged by excessive use of these devices because some children often prefer to “interact” with telephones, rather than other children.

Children need to move.

Whether we are considering research that discourages the use of these devices to be valid or not, we must believe that babies under 2 years (as well as older children) must explore their environment to develop:  crawl, walk, climb , jump, roll, dance, run… all this is not achieved with a tablet while sitting in an armchair.

Why should children move?

Children’s brain development (neurodevelopment) is a process that begins in the womb, but it continues until 4 or 5 years after birth. That is, during this period, their brain structures are still formed, such as synapses (connections between neurons).

From experience and out of necessity, the body responds to the demands of its environment. So how can watching videos on mom’s cell phone help neuro-development?

Children need to get to know their body and learn to control it from experience, even though it will be cluttered in the house and there will be noise.

Children need to experiment with their senses.

Neurodevelopment also implies that the nervous system knows how to process information using their five senses and can use it to learn. It is also important that they are able to understand vestibular stimuli (balance and movement) and proprioception (sensations coming from the body).

All this is achieved by playing, discovering new textures and temperatures, playing musical instruments, walking in the park, rocking, singing and getting dirty… not by playing the latest popular game on an iPad.

Babies need to develop their communication skills.

Knowing how to communicate is not just about viewing photos on an iPad and naming them . To know how to communicate is to be able to let someone know what we mean and also be able to understand what others are telling us and what is happening around us. Having a vocabulary is important, but it is not communication.

Babies learn to communicate by connecting with humans, not machines; they learn by listening to their mother, playing with their siblings and cousins, going to kindergarten, solving problems, singing and listening to stories.

Communication enables them to develop social skills so that they grow up to be able to respect the opinions of others, wait for their turn to play, to know when to listen, when to make eye contact, when it is their turn to talk and when other people are talking.

None of this is learned with mom’s phone.

Children need to develop basic skills.

Basic skills are concepts learned through experience, such as spatial concepts (up, down, near, far, in front, back, inside and outside) as well as temporal concepts (before, after, first, second, fast, slow, during) .

Other concepts such as weight, similarity and distance are also included. There are certainly games for electronic devices that address these concepts, but they do not allow children to learn what is “up” or which toy is heavier than another.

Electronic games can only represent what the user already knows through experience, in order to choose the right answer.

It’s not as bad as you think

Smartphones and iPads will not cause irreparable damage to your baby as long as they are not a substitute for reality. That is, do not spend time showing them games on these devices; but instead invest time and effort in playing with them outdoors, if possible, or with their toys.

This is how you can develop your child’s intelligence, even if the social pressures sometimes make us think differently.

A child who runs, laughs, falls, gets dirty, dances and fights with their siblings is a sign that one they are developing healthily.

Maybe using an iPad or smartphone is smart when you do not have a toy on hand. Choose “Educational Games” without deceiving yourself into believing that they are actually learning something.

By playing these games, they are simply practicing something that they have already learned and the only thing that the device does is keep them quiet.