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Jonathan Haidt describes our current culture as…The Great Re‑wiring of Childhood

Jonathan Haidt, professor, researcher and author of The Anxious Generation, describes how outdoor play has declined while screen-time has surged. This shift has coincided with a rise in childhood anxiety, depression, and emotional fragility.

Nowadays it’s very common to see kids of all ages, even really young ones, on iPads and smart phones.  One may think that IPads are innocuous, as long as one is monitoring the content, which could be true to some degree, but Haidt draws a clear distinction between passive television and interactive touch‑screens:

What are the differences between TV versus iPad (and any touch screen, including smart phones)?

“TV puts out a story, but a touch‑screen is… a behavioral‑training device. …A touch‑screen can train your child the way a circus trainer can train an animal.”

He cautions against letting young children use tablets or smart phones unsupervised,

He reminds us that TV encourages shared viewing and narrative immersion which helps to facilitate emotional development. Whereas, touchscreen use is usually solitary and often reward-driven, fostering fast, emotionally shallow consumption.

Advantages of TV in Small Amounts and Shared Contexts

• Story Telling and Engagement & Social Learning
• Comfort from familiar characters
• Co-viewing boosts benefits through dialogue and shared attention

(However too much TV or poorly managed TV can negatively impact caregiver-child interaction, foster a sedentary lifestyle which can increase chances of obesity and possibly create issues with language and executive functioning development.)

Risks of Touch‑Screens: 

Behaviour conditioning/Addiction:

Jonathan Haidt reminds us that when kids are using tablets in an interactive way, behavioural conditioning is happening which then increases the chance of addiction-like use.

Each time kids tap or swipe the screen, they get positive reinforcement and stimulation which trains the brain to expect constant novelty and reward.  This may then undermine the development of sustained attention and patience, leading to very short attention spans and the expectation of instant gratification.

Disruption of natural development:

Tablets and smart phones are replacing real-world exploration which is essential for healthy development in children.  Kids need three-dimensional sensory-rich experiences such as touching objects, grasping, climbing etc.

Real world experiences also foster critical thinking skills and develop appropriate risk-taking behaviours. For example, climbing trees, jumping on stepping stones across creeks, building forts, swinging on ropes, riding bikes over jumps etc.

Hindering development of social and emotional skills:

Tablet use can reduce time in face-to-face play with siblings, peers etc.  Playing together in the real world is critical for learning social cues, empathy and emotional regulation.

Delaying motor skill development:

Swiping and tapping don’t encourage fine motor skills compared to jigsaw puzzles, Lego, stacking blocks, sewing, drawing, crafting, etc.

Increased Risk of Mental Health Issues:

Haidt’s data is most focussed on adolescents but he does suggest that early tablet exposure may set children on a developmental path that increases their vulnerability to anxiety, depression and loneliness later on, especially when screen use displaces social interaction and physical play.

My Additional Concerns:

Sneakiness:

Kids can get more sneaky with a tablet or smart phone versus the television.  With a small screen, they can be using it without you even realizing how long they’ve been on it or what content they’re consuming.  Whereas a TV is usually in a common area and there’s no sneaking it!  Beware of where you charge devices in the night…many kids have figured out this is a prime time to get extra screen-time as long as they return it before you wake up…

The Dark Web:

I am highly concerned that many kids’ tablets are connected to the internet which includes access to the dark web.  As soon, as they know the password to your phone or they’re on an iPad that’s connected to the internet, they may accidentally come across traumatic images such as some of the pornography that’s readily available.

**This is also now happening on Spotify and other live streaming music apps too.  Kids are accidentally or intentionally discovering porn on Spotify, as it is also a full-service video platform.**

Boredom – A Lost Art:

As Glennon Doyle, Untamed, said:

“I find myself worrying most that when we hand our children phones (and tablets), we steal their boredom from them.

As a result we are raising a generation of writers who will never start writing, artists who will never start doodling, chefs who will never make a mess of the kitchen, athletes who will never kick a ball against a wall, musicians who will never pick up their aunt’s guitar and start strumming.”

Connection Deprivation:

When children are on a tablet in restaurant they are losing the opportunity to connect with each other and their parents or adults at the table.  Sharing meals together is such an essential part of making memories, connecting and sharing experiences together.

When kids are on a tablet/phone in the car as you’re driving, they’re losing the opportunity to interact through car ride games, singing songs together, looking out of the window at the outside world and most important…chatting with you.

Creativity Deprivation:

When my kids were young, we didn’t have tablets yet so when it was time to take one of both of them to an appointment with me, I would pack a backpack filled with creative items such as some of their small toys that they could use for creative imaginative play and art supplies.  This same backpack would accompany us on trains, and planes too.  This required them to be creative with these materials as they waited for me.  I’m concerned that nowadays, kids are given their parents’ phone or a tablet to pass the time and are missing out on more creative imagination opportunities.  This article describes the difference between inside-out creativity versus the information coming from the outside-in.

What are the practical implications for parents?

• Choose shared TV over solo device use
• Limit tablet use and delay introducing your kids to tablets/smart phones for as long as possible
• Create screen-smart home habits
• Encourage outdoor play and creative play

• Ensure there are device breaks

**Beware of any devices that access the internet and set up internet filters in your home.  However, monitor carefully, as there are ways around internet filters that kids figure out.

Final Take on TV versus iPad

Jonathan Haidt favours TV—especially shared and educational TV—over iPads for young children.

Touch-screens reinforce solitary, fast-feedback habits that risk healthy child development

Delaying tablets and smart phones as long as possible is advisable.  (Sign the Unplugged Canada pledge to delay smart phone use for your child until at least age 14. Landlines are making a come back!)

Mindful, limited, and co-viewed screen use is key.

Foster human connection, storytelling, creativity and outdoor exploration.

When parents ask me for my #1 piece of advice, I say, connection as this is applies to all ages and stages of life with our kids.  Nowadays, technology is the major competitor for our connection, which makes parenting even more challenging.

I hope these insights will help guide you in figuring out what delaying and moderation looks like in your home to be aligned with your family values.

Warmly,

Sharon