Should You Let Your Toddler Use A Tablet? Find Out The Pros & Cons

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Should you let your toddler use a tablet? This is a tough question to answer, right? I didn’t have a tablet when I was growing up and I turned out alright. But, it’s a technology-driven world now. And, there are a lot of things that we didn’t have growing up that are considered necessities now. So, should a tablet and screen time be considered a necessity? Are there any negative effects if my child uses a smartphone or tablet? Will I be holding my child back by not allowing them to use one? These are all viable questions to be asking yourself. And, hopefully, this article will help you see the pros and cons of screen time.

Yes, you should allow your toddler to use a tablet. There have been studies that show children (ages 6 to 10 months) learn faster and have better number recognition when allowed to use a tablet. But, the AAP suggests that children under 2 interact better with people than screens. Boston University went further in saying that tablets can be “detrimental to the social-emotional development of your child.”

This is probably why this is such a hard topic to deal with. On one hand, we know that technology is the future and it can help children learn faster than we ever did. On the other hand, too much screen time can have negative effects on your child. What should you do?

We allowed both of our kids to use a smartphone (or tablet). And, I found it amazing how quickly they were able to learn how to use it. No exaggeration, it was almost like watching a duck get in the water for the first time. They figured out how to do things (like swipe notification that get in the way) with such ease. My daughter Mackenzie even figured out how to get me to swipe my finger to unlock it while I was sleeping. And, she was less than 3 at the time!

Positive Benefits A Tablet Can Have On Your Toddler

I’m sure that there are many people out there who may not agree but I’m a firm believer that screen time has positive benefits for my children. There have even been studies done by experts that question the position that kids shouldn’t use any touch-screen device because of the many benefits that they have.

Screen Time Helps Kids Relax While Still Learning

I’m sure when you sit down and want to relax, the first thing you grab if your phone (or tablet) and maybe read the news, check your social media accounts or even just play a game. Well, your child is the same way. Being able to watch a funny video or play a video game helps them relax as well.

But, you can use this as an opportunity to help them learn something new at the same time. Instead of just letting them play some random game, try offering them an app like the ABC PreSchool Kids Tracing & Phonics Learning Game. It’s a great way to challenge them to read and learn while they relax.

Tablets Are A Powerful Learning Tool For Kids

As much as you may or may not like it, tablets are starting to be required by some schools.¹ My daughter Mackenzie just started kindergarten and her homework assignment the other night was to learn how to use a mouse and keyboard! I thought that this was crazy. But, I also realize that technology can be powerful learning tools when they are used correctly.

And, tablets can help your child develop an aptitude for technology. And, that’s an important skill to have. Just think of how fast technology has evolved in the last 10 years. Then imagine what technology will be like in the next 10 years. I can’t even begin to imagine the possibilities. But, what I do know is that having an aptitude for technology will be an even more important skill in the future. So, why not start them out a little early? You never know. Your child might be inspired to be the next Steve Jobs.

Tablets Can Increase Cognitive & Development In Babies

A University of London study² observed a group of babies (age 6 to 10 months) and found that their number recognition was higher after they were shown the digits on a tablet. Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith even went on to say that “Tablets should be part of a baby’s world from birth,” and “It is shocking how fast they learn, even faster than adults to do things like scroll up and down text.”

And, I’m not surprised since I already told you that I was amazed at how fast both of my daughters learned while using a tablet. When used correctly, they can be powerful learning tools. But, they have to be used correctly. This means that you should be involved during your child’s screen time. Watch what they are watching and ask them questions or present them with challenges. Then be amazed at how they respond.

Kids Whose Parents Limit Screen Time Do Worse In College

You might think that having strict rules regarding screen time is helping your child do better in school. But, a new study says that you might be wrong. Swiss scientists recently surveyed 1,100 freshmen at a large American university about how much screen time they had as kids and then followed their academic performance.³

They found that there was no difference between kids that we’re strictly limited and kids that had a more relaxed attitude towards tablet use. Children who were allowed to self regulate their screen time received similar grades to children whose parents strictly controlled their use

Even more interesting, kids that had parents that limited technology use with the hopes of boosting academic achievement did worse in college. This might be attributable to over-controlling parents in general but it kind of makes you wonder right?

It seems like you should let your child use a tablet (or phone) since they have many positive benefits. But, there are just as many people that say you should allow them screen time or if you do, you should limit it because they can have negative effects on your toddler.

Negative Effects Screen Time Can Have On Your Toddler

Screen Time Can Make Your Toddler Less Active

The World Health Organization (in 2019)⁴ and the American Academy of Pediatrics (in 2016)⁵ both recommend that children between 2 and 5 years of age should to limited to just 1 or 2 hours of tablet/smartphone screen time each day. Also, for children under 2, the AAP recommends that parents should have “screen-free” zones. Their stance is that “Children younger than 2 years need hands-on exploration and social interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional skills.”⁶

In other words, their view is that your child’s preoccupation with their tablet takes away from their time to be physically active, which prohibits their growth. And, I can’t say that I argue with them. I’ll admit that there are a few times when our children watch too many cartoons (either on the tv or their tablets). And, they end up just sitting there all day. Luckily this doesn’t happen very often since we try to limit our children to about 2 hours of screen time per day, which seems to be a sweet spot.

There was a study that showed that children who use tablets (and similar devices) less than two hours a day performed better on tests that assessed their thinking, language, and memory.⁷

And finally, the American Heart Association suggests that too much screen time might be associated with your child being overweight, obese and sedentary.⁸ Traits that (if they continue into adulthood) can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and a variety of other diseases.

Screen Time Might Be Harmful To Brain Development

As if that wasn’t bad enough, it can be argued that screen time might be harmful to brain development. Think about it. Your child will grow rapidly in their first few years. And, the AAP has stated that young children learn the best through hands-on exploration and social interaction. Two things that your child wouldn’t be getting a lot of if their head is buried into their tablet.

A 2019 study done by psychologists of the University of Calgary⁹ found that 2-year-old children who had greater screen time showed poorer performance on motor, communication and problem-solving skills at 3 years old. And, 3-year-old children who had greater screen time had lower scores on development tests at 5 years old. They found that excessive screen time might be linked to preschool learning delays. They did note that screen time isn’t harmful in itself. It just takes time away when your child would practice the necessary skills for their developmental milestones.

Social Skills Are Impacted By Screen Time

I feel that technology (in general) hurts social skills. Think about it. You go out to eat with a group of friends and the first thing everyone does is reach for their phone. No one talks to each other. They are too busy with posting stuff on their social media accounts, looking up things or reading their email. So, it’s not hard to assume that screen time can have the same effect on your children.

A 2014 study done by UCLA¹⁰ even suggests that excessive screen time leads to your children being unable to read the emotions of other people. This is because screen time limits face to face interaction to the point where their social skills are negatively affected.

Children Who Use Tablets Get Less Sleep

And finally, children who use tablets (or other related devices) have a harder time sleeping. They average over 20 minutes less sleep every night. This is mainly due to the high levels of blue lights that their screen emits. Research has found that blue light suppresses the production of melatonin¹¹, a hormone linked to the circadian rhythm.

The blue light throws off your body’s sleep-wake cycle. This makes it harder for your child to go to sleep. This is especially true if you allow your child to use their tablet close to their sleeping time.

But, most modern devices have a night mode function that filters out the blue lightwaves. Which help to minimize this effect on your child (as well as yourself). I suggest you look into your device’s night mode function if you haven’t already. It’s such a simple way to get better sleep.

I’ve shown you how tablets can benefit your child and how they can harm them as well. This already makes your decision hard enough when trying to decide if you should let your child use a tablet. But, to make it even more confusing, there have been studies that show that screen time doesn’t have any effect at all. As if you didn’t already see that coming.

Tablet Screen Time May Not Harm Your Child At All

A study by Oxford University¹² suggests that screen time has close to no effect on your kid’s psychological health. It doesn’t make them depressed, more suicidal, selfish, or isolated. And, another study by the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health¹³ suggests that the evidence that screen time may harm your child is weak enough that they couldn’t recommend weather or not limiting screen time can have positive benefits.

In Conclusion

There are many benefits that tablet screen time can have on your child. But, too much screen time can bring about negative effects as well. Doesn’t that apply to pretty much everything in life? Too much of anything can be bad right? We allow our kids to use their tablets 1 to 2 hours a day. But, we stay involved when to do. And, we try to use the time as an opportunity to learn as much as possible. We aren’t perfect and this can be hard at times but it is a good rule to live by.

By Grace – Child Development Associate Teacher in California

My husband Mark and I have been blessed with two beautiful, smart, positive (I can go on and on) girls… Kenzie & Kayla. And, we have learned many tips and tricks while raising them. Tips and tricks that we felt would be useful to other new parents out there. So, we started WAYISAVE as a website built by parents for parents to share the best baby deals, coupons, tips, tricks and the occasional piece of advice.