Experts caution against toddlers getting too familiar with devices

Experts caution against toddlers getting too familiar with devices
By Evelyn Lam, Dylan Loh | Posted: 24 November 2012 2242 hrs

SINGAPORE: Experts have cautioned against letting toddlers three years old and below, get too familiar with mobile devices.

They said it might hamper their ability to learn as they grow.

Three-year-old Randy Smith has been playing with an iPad since the age of two, and his parents said he is quite familiar with some of the more advanced features in the mobile device.

Experts said children this young should spend more time interacting with their physical environment.

They said interacting too much with a virtual interface could interfere with a child's ability to understand the world around him.

Colin Smith, father of Randy Smith, said: "There was once when we just left him (Randy) to go to bed with an iPad.

"We didn't check on him till about two hours later because both of us were working at home and when we got to him, we found that he had been playing for the past two hours and didn't want to go to sleep."

- CNA/lp

- wong chee tat :)