Tablets Over Toys: Alarming Number of Parents Give Mobile Devices to Babies

Tablets Over Toys: Alarming Number of Parents Give Mobile Devices to Babies

Don’t be surprised if baby’s first word is “iPhone” or “tablet” instead of “Mama” or “Dada.” A surprisingly high number of infants are spending time in front of screens long before they can talk or walk.

More than one-third of parents admitted that their child has “touched or scrolled a screen” before their first birthday, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Society on Saturday.

The research team questioned 370 families in a Philadelphia neighborhood pediatric clinic about their children’s interaction with TVs, tablets, and smartphones. The families spanned different demographics but had one major thing in common: multiple ways to view media. Almost all of the families polled had TVs, 83 percent had tablets, and 77 percent had smartphones.

While many teens are obviously attached to their media devices, study author Hilda Kabali was surprised that it started so young.

“We didn’t expect children were using the devices from the age of six months,” she said. “Some children were on the screen for as long as 30 minutes.”

As the babies get older, the amount of screen time goes up: 26 percent of two-year-olds spend at least an hour each day using mobile media. That percentage jumps to more than one-third by the age of four.

While an infant might get some amusement out of gazing at a screen, parents also benefit. Most reported handing over their smartphone or tablet while trying to get something done: 73 percent of parents allowed screen time when doing household chores, and 60 percent did so while running errands.

Handing over the phone or tablet might seem like a harmless way to entertain a baby, but it goes against American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. The AAP recommends that children under the age of two find entertainment outside of the digital world. At a time when a child’s brain is rapidly developing, real human interaction is far more beneficial and critical than staring at an iPhone.  

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Original article from TakePart