Kids, screens and parental guilt: Time to loosen up?

I agree with this. There is nothing wrong with toddlers (or younger) playing with handheld interactive devices. It is an important educational step for their future. Today's toddlers will have to interact with all kinds of displays in the future, which is completely different to when we were kids. My first interactive experience was the Atari Pong console when I was about 14 or so. However, the only thing I am adamant about is, what kind of interaction they have. Setting kids up to play pointless 'smack the hamster' style games is just ridiculous! There are thousands of wonderfully educational applications for children to learn. If a kid has their face stuck in a display, it should be for educational purposes, not just to waste time or to be the interactive babysitter.

Crayons and paper! Leave em too it. They might complain but if you get them into it kids are capable of entertaining themselves. They have imagination. You dont have to rely on ipads.

Good points Disillusioned however I got to disagree about toddlers using smart devices. What seems harmless for a 2 year old soon turns into addiction. Sure it can be educational, but in all seriousness, a monkey could probably use a tablet as well as a toddler. Of course sometimes is okay. I admit my oldest kids get roughly 30-40 minutes of tablet fun on my day off. They started when they were 6 or so. With regret I have succumbed. Once they have finished doing homework, chores or what ever they then ask for one thing, the tablet. I worry mostly for kids are on tablets all the time. I see parents handing over their phones to their kids so easily. What's a bit of youtube cartoons fun for toddlers, becomes games and more games for 6 year olds, to instagram, snapchat for 12 year olds, finally it will be such a norm for teenagers that they end up becoming introverted zombies, anxiety, lack of creativity and ambition and so on will be present. There are already signs of this happening. It may seem like I am making a mountain out or a mole hill but the more we can hold back given smart devices to kids the better. It is inevitable that they will use smart devices and more in the future anyway. Interacting, socializing, playing sports, running around, going on adventures in the real world are what's important for a kids development.