8 Hudson Valley Parent
n
Spring 2020
smartphone.
"He absolutely loved Endless Reader
and Endless Spelling," she said.
Benefits and balance. When deter-
mining an application's effectiveness,
Summers said to keep in mind three
points: its navigation, content and re-
wards. Immediate access, ease-of-use, vi-
sual attractiveness, and exciting rewards
are part of what appeal to young users
and keep them coming back for more.
Aside from the educational benefits,
most parents also admit that permitting
their children to use touch-screen devic-
es makes their own lives a little bit easier.
Regardless, many parents are hesitant to
put technology into the
hands of their toddlers for
its age-appropriateness
and possible interference
in their development,
such as empathy and curi-
osity.
Erin Spak, a Highland
mom of young Bryce, said
her son learns by explor-
ing his environment and
that introducing a device
would take away from
that.
"We feel that starting
technology reliant habits
early would encourage
him to value those activ-
ities over reading books,
playing outside, building
with his blocks, and all of the things that
he loves to do," she said.
The key to raising digitods, according
to Summers, is maintaining a healthy
balance in their use.
"Too much screen time isn't good for
anyone, including teenagers and adults,"
she said. "What a child needs is a bal-
anced day, filled with physical activity,
playing with friends and engaging in
imaginative play."
Sarah Coppola is the mom of two daught-
es and past owner of FamilyFriendlyHudson
Valley.com.
