Hilary Stout for The New York Times:
Along with fears about dropping and damage, however, many parents sharing iPhones with their young ones feel nagging guilt. They wonder whether it is indeed an educational tool, or a passive amusement like television. The American Academy of Pediatrics has long advised parents not to let their children watch any TV until they are past their second birthday.
Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, a pediatrician who is a member of the academy’s council of communications and media, said the group is continually reassessing its guidelines to address new forms of “screen time.”
We always try to throw in the latest technology, but the cellphone industry is becoming so complex that we always come back to the table and wonder should we have a specific guideline for cellphones,” she said. But, she added, “At the moment, we seem to feel it’s the same as TV.”
I know our two-year old just about hurtles himself across the room if he sees me with my iPad. We try to be deliberate about limiting his time with technology but the simple fact is that it is a hard thing to do. We try to balance this by keeping very few electronic toys out for him to play with it. Thankfully, most days he’d rather push his toy trains around or build with blocks than stare at the iMac.
Without a doubt, this is one of the trickiest thing about parenting in the 21st century. I hope we all get it right, for our kids’ sakes.