What is iPad Kids Edition?

But isn’t all screen time bad?

Is the iPad a child? real Is it destined to fail, or is there a positive side to all this kid-friendly technology?

In short: it’s complicated. “We don’t know enough,” Dr. McGuire said parents.

As an example, he cites a publication in JAMA Pediatricswhich showed that young children with approximately two hours of screen time per day had poorer attention and executive function performance at age 9.

While this does sound like bad news, Dr. McGuire points out potential holes in the approach—specifically, the lack of What The children are watching. “They asked some basic questions [for the study]but they don’t read the content,” he said. “If you sit in front of a screen and watch something that’s not educational, it might be different. It’s something we don’t know enough about.

Additionally, in a study published in 2022 Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryResearchers found that children who spent one to two hours a day watching television or using digital devices had higher levels of social and emotional well-being than those who reported limited or no screen time.

Their findings also showed that children would need to watch 4 hours and 40 minutes of television or spend 5 hours and 8 minutes on electronic devices each day before parents would notice any negative changes in social or emotional functioning.

There’s no doubt that staring at a screen for hours on end can have harmful effects — especially when the content promotes violence or unhealthy behavior — but there’s no need to paint every screen-time interaction with the same smear brush.

“I don’t think all screen time is a bad thing,” Dr. McGuire added. “I think we really need to understand the content and how it’s used on a daily basis.”

How to set healthy screen time limits for your kids

Here are some tips when setting healthy screen time boundaries:

Think about how you use screen time

For example, will you provide an iPad even if your child is disruptive, or is this a reward for good behavior?

“If you have a kid who watches an episode of Blue’s Clues, it’s not the end of the world,” Dr. McGuire said. “But if that’s their first choice every time they pick on something, that could inadvertently reinforce that behavior.”

He explained that if a child is given an iPad after engaging in bad behavior, they will know that no matter how they behave, they will still get screen time. This makes things a bit difficult for parents, especially when it’s taken away. (Hello, tantrums!)

make some small changes

“Replace some screen time with other types of preferred activities,” Dr. McGuire advises.

Instead of picking up your iPad right away, try reading, playing a game, doing a puzzle, or coloring a picture. Keep it simple and try to cut back a little each day.

Create strict screen time rules

Non-negotiable screen time rules are also a must—not just for kids, but for parents as well.

It’s easy to threaten to confiscate the iPad when your child is having a meltdown, but are you going to stick with it? It’s a different story – which is why Dr. McGuire stresses the importance of having solid, agreed-upon rules in place where everyone is calm, cool and collected.

“Make sure the rules of the house are very clear,” he explains. For example, “If you do chores, you get screen time. If you throw a tantrum, you lose screen time—the screen time account balance, if you will, that the kids will cash out at the end of the day.”

As for the parents? Practice what you’re taught: Try setting rules to reduce your own screen time to set a healthy example for your impressionable children.

Aim for educational viewing

During your screen time, try to stick to educational content. The best apps for kids are interactive, allowing them to see, listen, and swipe.

When using educational apps, co-viewing accelerates learning, and video chats (such as FaceTime) allow them to interact with real people, which is one of the best uses of technology for kids.

Eliminating the Guilt of Raising “iPad Kids”

In today’s technology-driven society, it’s nearly impossible to avoid screen time—and that’s okay. Staring at a screen all day isn’t ideal, but luckily, giving your kids limited time with an iPad isn’t a disastrous decision.

Although generations like Gen Z are concerned about the future of iPad-enabled children, Dr. McGuire explained that there is no way to predict the outcome.

What’s the bottom line? More research is needed to truly understand the long-term effects of screen time. “If you just look at the headlines, it’s scary, but it’s really complicated,” he said. “We need to understand what’s going on so we can make informed decisions.”

Overall, the best way to spend screen time with your kids is to set healthy boundaries and limits, practice co-viewing when possible, aim for educational content, and most importantly, give yourself some grace.

“We need to eliminate guilt [surrounding screen time]”, Dr. McGuire added. “[But] Even if a parent or family member is concerned, there are resources and treatments that can help you learn strategies for better use of screen time. There is always hope and support.

As for the Gen Z critics? Dr. McGuire makes two points: “First, have total empathy for parents. Raising children is an extremely difficult job. Second, do more research [for] Data-driven decisions. Currently, we don’t have answers to many questions because it’s too complex.