Many parents let children as young as two years old use iPads, usually to keep them busy and quiet. But a new study from UBC researchers suggests there could be a benefit to screen time.
“Maybe there’s another component that these apps can be used more than just as entertainment tools,” UBC psychology professor Susan Birch said.
WATCH: iPad learning effective for kids, says UBC study
Birch and her colleagues conducted a study, which was recently published in Frontiers in Psychology, that aimed to assess how two groups of 43 children between the ages of four and eight learned a series of facts. One group of kids played a trivia game on an iPad while a second group was taught by an adult. Researchers say the results surprised them.
“I guess the main finding is that the the learning rates for factual learning turned out to be equally good,” Birch said.
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While screens may not help with all forms of learning, an iPad’s interactive nature can make facts easier to learn. That means parents should keep a close eye on the type of information their children are taking in.
“They are learning very readily even if you don’t realize it,” Birch said. “There certainly could be content could that is dangerous, that is worrisome.”
– With files from Tanya Beja
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