YouTube has a trend tab/link which lets people know what has been and are currently the popular videos circulating on their site. You can find very funny videos or the most annoying videos ever made. When I’m bored I tend to look through this trend site for a laugh. I came across a video of a little boy, about 2 years old, who loves his iPad. I thought it was a cute video then I noticed many other parents who are doing the same thing. So now the iPad is not only being marketed by Apple but also by soccer moms and dads. Now that children are being exposed to this new rave technology, will they be putting aside their Barbie and GI Joe? But the upside to this new trend is the educational spin that could be put on it. Parents can download educational apps to help their children transition into school or help them while they are in school. As oppose to other toys that only serve one function, the iPad has many options.
This new generation of children has been raised in a world full of technological advances. Put any device in their hands and they will teach themselves how to use it in under 20 minutes and become pros. Give the same device to an older person and they will be lost for hours. We have taught children, either directly or indirectly, that it’s all about having the ‘it’ thing. New technology is always being marketed toward young trendy folk who want to be ahead of the game with new gadgets. When children see adults raving over new gadgets they want a piece of the action as well. They want to see what the hype is and why it consumes much of our everyday life.
I like the idea of educational apps added to these forms of technology so that they have some kind of benefit. Many apps can be mindless, simple games but if they are engaging and provide knowledge to the child, this is a definite pro in my opinion. Since the items, such as the iPad, is intriguing to individuals of all ages, especially the younger children, this can motivate them to play these educational games and provide a fun element to learning.
On the other hand, the claim of the children wanting the newest models is valid. When I saw people buying the iPad after saving for a long time, I wondered what they did when the iPad 2 came out. However, what about children? I would be shocked if I saw someone in elementary school with their own iPad! Many young children may not understand the expensive price tag on these items. When they see other children with it that have parents that can afford it, what will their parents say if they cannot afford it? Will this cause issues of bullying when the children don’t have the “hottest technology”? This marketing gets a little out of hand when children start wanting these expensive items when their parents may be struggling to get them basic items such as clothes and food.
I absolutely loved that video of the little boy using the iPad. However, I was surprised by a lot of the comments *against* parents using the iPad (and other Apple products) with their children, making claims that it “strips the children of their childhood” or “makes children dependent on technology at a young age”. I think people just fear things (like parenting) being done differently. Don’t get me wrong, I think there should be limits to children on the internet (my little cousins know FAR TOO MUCH for their age because of having a laptop from the time they were 9 years old), but to be up in arms over a child playing games on an iPad is a bit much.
I think technology can actually be great for children. The first years of life are where we absorb the most information (babies are like cute little sponges that drool on themselves and need to be fed and taken care of), so using technology for educational purposes is an amazing thing. I remember when I was little, I had one of those Vtech educational laptops full of games on a 2″x4″ pixelated screen. I was able to teach myself simple algebra before the age of 7, so it makes me wonder why educational toys/methods don’t have more support sometimes.
And like most hot items, there is a possibility that children might feel the need to have the same expensive toy as their peers, but it’s on the parent to be able to say, “NO.” Obviously, necessities like food and clothing come before items like the iPad, and it takes a good parent to teach their children the difference between “want” and “need”. Therefore, it should be okay that the iPad is marketed to moms and dads so long as they don’t let a product completely take over their spending habits.
I absolutely loved that video of the little boy using the iPad. However, I was surprised by a lot of the comments *against* parents using the iPad (and other Apple products) with their children, making claims that it “strips the children of their childhood” or “makes children dependent on technology at a young age”. I think people just fear things (like parenting) being done differently. Don’t get me wrong, I think there should be limits to children on the internet (my little cousins know FAR TOO MUCH for their age because of having a laptop from the time they were 9 years old), but to be up in arms over a child playing games on an iPad is a bit much.
I think technology can actually be great for children. The first years of life are where we absorb the most information (babies are like cute little sponges that drool on themselves and need to be fed and taken care of), so using technology for educational purposes is an amazing thing. I remember when I was little, I had one of those Vtech educational laptops full of games on a 2″x4″ pixelated screen. I was able to teach myself simple algebra before the age of 7, so it makes me wonder why educational toys/methods don’t have more support sometimes.
And like most hot items, there is a possibility that children might feel the need to have the same expensive toy as their peers, but it’s on the parent to be able to say, “NO.” Obviously, necessities like food and clothing come before items like the iPad, and it takes a good parent to teach their children the difference between “want” and “need”. Therefore, it should be okay that the iPad is marketed to moms and dads so long as they don’t let a product completely take over their spending habits.