Introducing Technology to Kids: When should we?

So lately I was kept busy taking care of my kids who got sick. When they are not feeling well, little ones tend to be very tired and attached to some object offering comfort. To some, this object may be a game console or a tablet while others may want to watch their favorite TV show.For my older boy, who’s three and a half, this means watching YouTube videos.

Given the presence of technology today and the amount of time that I spent with the kids in the past few days, I was debating what is the proper age to introduce technology to kids. Be it TV, a tablet or a kid friendly computer, your child (ren) may be exposed to technology sooner or later.

For my oldest boy, I guess his first exposure was around 17 months old when he started daycare and his demand for media content increased as he developed his speech and vocabulary. By the time he was about two years old he was able to ask for specific TV shows and music content. Because we live in a cable free house, this means that most of the kid’s entertainment comes from YouTube. By the time he was about three, my son was able to vaguely use my phone to browse through pictures and had an understanding that YouTube was where you watch TV. At some point this winter he took me by surprise when he powered on the TV and changed channels on his own (I have an antenna to get basic channels). Also, his grandma bought him a Leap Pad for Christmas, which I promptly returned to the store.

Why? Because the last thing that I want is for my kids to become hooked up to gaming or other multimedia content. We use this sort of activity as a reward for good behavior or as a comfort (such as when they are sick) rather than as a part of daily activities. I don’t believe that my son needs a Leap Pad at his age and even if I would, the Leap Pad would be far from my first choice as a child’s first personal device.

So what would be an appropriate age? Quite frankly it’s very much dependent on the child because I would not want kids to become addicted to this sort of stuff at an early age. I understand however that today there is a lot of beneficial uses for a tablet such as educational content and apps. My own idea is to buy my older son a tablet for his 5th birthday so that he can familiarize himself with it before going to school. I will also use my own tablet and smartphone with him to introduce him slowly and still be able to control the usage time and content. And yes I am aware of the existence of parental control settings but I want to avoid attachment to the device.

So there you have it, a geek’s input on parenting and technology. Now let me go play Lego blocks and Little people with my kids as soon as I get out of work.