There is no denying thatparentingis a pretty hard job. Indeed, it’s so important and time consuming that most nations literally ensure mothers can take time off work to raise their children. However, some parents get a bit lazy and end up relying on digital crutches.

Content creatorAndra Berghoffwent viral after sharing the many difficulties of working with so-called “iPad Kids”. For those who are unfamiliar, this refers to the pretty controversial trend of people just giving their children a tablet in lieu of actually parenting them. Comments were mixed, some seeing the risks, others thinking it was overblow.

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Woman discussing dangers of “iPad Kids,” highlighting technology’s impact on children.

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Child using tablet, highlighting potential dangers of “iPad kids.

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Text discussing a nanny’s experience on managing screen time for “iPad kids” and its impact on parenting.

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Text discussing the impact of technology on children, focusing on iPad use.

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Text describing handling tantrums by encouraging outdoor play over electronic use.

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Text discusses improvements in children’s behavior, highlighting the role of guidance and teaching over reliance on iPads.

Woman discussing dangers of iPad kids with LeapFrog educational tools in the background.

Text discussing the occasional use of iPads for kids in public, not as a constant replacement for parenting.

Text discussing the dangers of “iPad kids” and impact of technology on children’s behavior.

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You can watch the full video here

Babysitter Shares Why Gen Alpha Is A “Nightmare Generation”

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There is an entire generation that has had access to smart devices

Remember, the iPad has been around forfifteen yearsnow, it’s older than many of the kidsAndra Berghoffis talking about in this video. Importantly, the iPad gets the lion’s share of the blame, but this effect can come from smartphone use as well, after all, the screen of an average iPhone these days is sufficiently large to fully capture the attention of a toddler.

By the early 2010s, some researchers estimated that roughly 40% of young children already had easy access to digitalmedia. No doubt many parents of the time found a tablet or smartphone to be a good alternative to a more expensive and “dangerous” computer and there was content galore to keep their kids entertained. By the mid 2010s, thisnumberhad jumped to 72% in the US, although, importantly, the linked study was not measuring screentime but just access to screens.

Babysitter Shares Why Gen Alpha Is A “Nightmare Generation”

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The result is a lack of social skills and imagination

Since this is more of an emerging trend, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what the results of “iPad parenting” might be, but so far the effects seem bleak. One2023 studyconducted in Japan found that children with relatively unfiltered and uncontrolled access to screens were generally behind their peers in communication and social skills. Remember, kids at this age are often not even literate, so communication and social skills are basically the only things they have. This would explain why teaching them can be a challenge forteacherstrained to work with previous generations.

There have already been cases of people noticing children (and sometimes adults) just glued to their screens in publicplaces, or perhaps listening to something out loud on public transport, a truly unforgivable crime. Ultimately, this is the responsibility of theparentto actually parent their kids.

Reactions to her video were mixed

Comment on iPad kids and media hysteria, showing user chrisless and engagement with 854 likes.

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Comment on dangers of “iPad kids” highlighting gentle parenting, by user named GussyGirl with a rainbow logo.

Social media post questions focus on iPad kids, mentioning millennials and Gen Z with game consoles.

Comment expressing concern about screen time for children, mentioning iPad Kids as a potential bad influence.

Comment about babysitting an “iPad kid,” highlighting outdoor and creative activities done together.

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Comment highlighting the irony of complaining about iPad kids while raising a child on computers.

Comment discussing the socioeconomic impact on the prevalence of “iPad kids,” questioning if it’s a widespread phenomenon.

Text conversation discussing dangers of iPad kids, work-life balance, and parental burnout in modern parenting.

Comment comparing “iPad kids” to video game blame on childhood behavior, with 211 likes and a reply date of 2023-11-11.

Comment highlighting parents' involvement in addressing iPad kids' dangers, by a teacher and parent.

Comment discussing how “iPad Kids” affects younger Gen Z and 17-year-olds.

Comment discussing the exhaustion of parents related to “iPad kids,” with 41 likes and one dislike.

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Comment discussing dangers of unsupervised internet access for “iPad Kids” generation, expressing concern for Gen Alpha.

Kristina comments on the dangers of “iPad kids” with pride, highlighting her children are not among them.

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Comment about autistic iPad kids being kind and thoughtful, with 269 likes.

Comment about screen use in children, emphasizing dangers of iPad in parenting, with 286 likes.

Comment discussing the concept of “iPad kids” and comparing past outdoor activities with current screen time habits.

Comment discussing the dangers of iPad usage among children, comparing it to older gaming devices not linked to the Internet.

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