Digital Wellbeing & Productivity Expert
Research
Are iPads causing speech problems for young children? Yes, if you believe a recent Sydney newspaper headline. The article suggested that iPads were responsible for developmental speech impairments in Kindergarten children. The article claimed that increasing numbers of children were starting school with speech delays and tablets and technology were blamed for the decline in these skills. […]
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Parents and teachers frequently lament that today’s kids are not reading as much as they used to. And this conversation often leads to, “Back in my day…” But this is more than just a nostalgic claim. As the video below exemplifies, reading traditional books has become somewhat of a foreign experience for some children. […]
Read MoreHave you seen the latest Fisher-Price iPad Apptivity Seat? It is a reclining baby bouncer seat with a mirror, with the option to slip an iPad (or other tablet device) into the mirror case and show apps and videos to babies. Yes, to babies. Very young babies that can not yet sit up. […]
Read MoreParents frequently ask me, “Do iPads, TVs, DVDs, video games (insert any media device really) cause ADD/ADHD?” As a parent and as a children’s technology researcher, this is a valid concern. I totally understand. At times as I have watched my son quickly flit between apps on my iPad, I have wondered the same thing. […]
Read MoreThere’s little doubt that children’s digital media use is impacting their eye health. Whilst we do not yet have any confirmed research, it seems highly plausible that we may be compromising children’s eyesight, as we expose children to screens and gadgets at an earlier age and for increasing periods of time. Children are being […]
Read MoreParents and teachers often worry that increasing technology use is impacting adversely on today’s children’s attention spans. Is this a valid concern or are parents and teachers worrying unnecessarily? A recent study from the Common Sense Media reported how today’s American teachers are concerned that learners’ attentional capabilities have diminished over time. Overwhelmingly teachers from […]
Read MoreA recent study revealed that 54% of US children aged 2 to 13years are reading e-books of some description (on iPads, iPhones, Kindles, Android tablets). It is likely that similar statistics would be found here in Australia too. As parents are increasingly using their iDevices with their children, we need to stop and consider what […]
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Despite the popularity of video games and more recently the advent of the iPad, TV viewing is still the main type of media that young children use. In Australia each household has an average of 2.2 TVs and children aged between 3 and 5 years watch more than 3 hours of TV/day on average. Therefore, it is […]
Read MoreSo how much screen time is appropriate for children? As a children’s technology researcher one of the most frequent questions I am asked by parents relates to ‘screen-time’, or what I refer to as ‘media-time’. Parents ask this question with trepidation, often fearful of my response. In this blog post I will outline the current […]
Read MoreThere is no better gift you can give than a love of reading. So why not ‘gift’ apps as Christmas gifts? Not only are many book apps educational, but they are also quick and easy to ‘gift’. Plus, you will be sure that they are one gift that will be used, well after Christmas Day. For […]
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