Toddlers and Technology

According to a recent Ad Age study, 25% of toddlers have used a smartphone. A quick Google search tells me that toddlers, which are children aged one to three years old, aren’t able to read and write yet (3 year olds are usually just beginning to learn to use letters).

Technology has certainly evolved, and parents are introducing their kids to it earlier and earlier. In fact, results from an annual survey by Ad Age says that GenY moms are introducing their kids to technology much faster than GenX and the Baby Boomers, the main reason being that GenY is has grown up in a technologically developed world.

However, it will be interesting to see how media and technology might change based on how early children are starting to use it. For example, in the commercial for the iPad one of the highlighted features is a tool that teaches writing-something geared right towards the end of the toddler stage. And the newest iPad 2 commercial is all about learning and ends with young children using an iPad in a classroom. This is certainly becoming a selling point for today’s tablets, learning tools and other devices. As always, the evolution of technology never ceases. We’ll certainly be watching.

What do you think about children using smartphones or learning to write from a tablet? Will tablet learning continue to be a growing part of our educational system?