Over the years, the debate of whether tablets are best suited for learning has heated up considerably. Just like every other thing in life, the use of tablets in school has its pros and cons. Some professionals in this field believe that introducing the use of technologies like the tablet in learning especially at a very early stage might have an adverse effect on a child. Accordingly, the following are some of the negative impacts of tablets and mobile phones on education.
- Deterioration of students’ competencies in reading, writing, and arithmetic
- Dehumanization of education in many environments and distortion of the relationship between teachers and students
- Isolation of students in a digital and virtual world that distances them from any form of social interaction
- Deepening of social inequalities between the haves and the have-nots.
Looking further, one would see that the younger ones are more prone to these effects. When choosing a tablet for your child, you must first consider the age of your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids under 18 months avoid screen time with the exception of video calls. The association advises that all screen time for kids aged 18 to 24 months occurs with a parent or guardian. Thus you would need to wait till preschool before getting your kid a tablet. Just because your baby likes to push buttons and watch videos does not mean he or she is ready for a computer. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends limiting screen time to just an hour each day for kids aged 2 to 5. Children aged 6 and up can have increased usage, just as long as parents set time limits and restrict use to “high-quality” programming and apps. Even after first introducing your child to a tablet, you should closely monitor their activity online. You just expose a very young mind to a lot, the least you could do is guide them along.
Below are a few tablets suitable for kids
Fire 7 Kids Pro tablet
This table is suitable for kids age 6+, it comes with a screen of about 7 inches. The tablet has an inbuilt browser that filters the content displayed.
Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet
The Fire HD 8 kids pro tablet is recommended for kids at the age of 6 to 12 years. It has a screen size of 8 inches, full HD quality.
Fire HD 10 Kids
This tablet is suitable for toddlers. It has an age range of 3 to 7 years and comes with an inbuilt web browser that selects websites kids can access.
Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet
The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro share similar features with the Fire HD Kids Pro. It comes with an inbuilt filter attached to its web browser. The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro comes with a screen size of 10 inches and it is ideal for kids at the age of 6 to 12 years.
Tablet is amazing at distracting kids, giving us breaks. But we should be careful as continually giving a child a tablet or mobile phone to relieve us from stress can lead to unwanted results
