Are Tablet Computers Right for Children?

Should You Get a Tablet Computer for Your Kid?

Technology has come a long way from where it was fifty, twenty, even ten years ago. It had become so intertwined with people’s daily lives that some of them rely on technology almost constantly, using their mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets for their work, school, friendships, relationships, and—parenting?

Yes, now, there are even tablet computers aimed specifically for kids, meant to take the job originally expected from a parent so the said adult could do other things, such as work more, rest longer, or even play a bit more often. The question that remains, though, is should you get a tablet computer to teach your child the things you could do yourself?

A Helping Hand

There is no contest in saying that tablet computers are helpful tools. Fast and powerful, these handy devices can do a myriad of things that a person couldn’t normally have done without a desktop or laptop computer, such as view and edit documents and spreadsheets, play and share audio and video presentations, or even draw and paint sketches and designs. Tablet computers can do all these, as well as play your favorite songs and movies, or else entertain you with the hundreds of free and paid fun applications and games.

In this aspect, it’s quite understandable that tablet computers would soon roam into the busy working parent’s domain. It has helped with students and employees in the past, so why not with working moms or single dads, too? Nowadays, you can easily find apps and games that are geared towards children, such as videos of nursery rhymes for babies, or education games for older children.

Aside from games and applications, there are gadgets that are genuinely designed for children as well. Tablet computers for kids are made to fit smaller hands, made with more lightweight materials, and with large icons and letters on default. Some of these tablet computers come preloaded with games and applications, capable of playing a few more through a cartridge slot or through online downloads.

Yes or No?

But the ultimate question still remains: should you get a tablet computer for your kid? The answer is never just a yes or a no, because both sides have benefits.

While it’s true that many people question the effects of giving such advanced devices to small children, the fact remains that these devices really do help children to learn. And while these people would also argue that the same kind of learning could be initiated by the parent, it should be noted that times have changed in that the traditional family roles have changed. No longer are women expected to stay at home and raise the kids, while only the men brings home the bread and bacon. These days, it’s not uncommon to find both parents working to raise a family, or even single parents who work multiple jobs to raise their child. Having a tablet computer that could entertain as well as educate their child is a priceless resource.

On the other hand, it could also be argued that the best teacher to a child will always be his or her parent, and in this regard, even the most highly advanced tablet computer can’t compete. Nobody can understand their child better than the parents, not to mention that these bonding moments are too precious to hand over to some lifeless device.

Should you get a tablet computer for your kid? In the end, the decision is in your hands but with tablets popularity ever growing its becoming more and more likely that kids with tablets will be the norm.