Babies and Children

Electronics for Children (top gadgets for toddlers, preschoolers; effects of electronic media on children, etc.)

Modern Children and Electronics
In today’s seemingly all-electronic environment, children as young as three years old are exposed to a range of electronic media and devices in home, school and other public places. It is not hard to see that for this 21st century generation, especially those living in developed economies and highly-urbanised areas, electronic devices and gadgets such as television, computers and mobile phones have become necessities and are common part of everyday life.

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Moreover, the commercialisation of many electronic products and the introduction of electronic gadgets for children have furthered children’s exposure to electronic media. Arguably, the trend turned modern children from passive users into active electronic media consumers. There are currently a number of electronic products targeted at young children, but not all of them are appropriate for your young ones. In this regard, we offer you here on insight on what could be the best electronic gadgets and toys for toddlers, preschoolers and school children.

Electronic toys and gadgets for toddlers
Children at preschool age and below are perhaps the most anxious and curious one you will ever deal with. It is in this stage that children love exploring the world using their senses, so it would be best to give them electronic toys and gadgets that will positively stimulate their senses and imagination, and help them discover the world around them. The following are just some of these toys:

Audio devices such as piano, music box, tapes and CDs of nursery rhymes and rhythms are great learning toys for toddlers. They help develop children’s listening ability and promote learning of different sounds. Moreover, children at this age group particularly love producing sound effects on toys by their own activity, so it is best to give them one that they can enjoy, while unconsciously learning.

Pretty much my entire console collection

Toy computers with attractive colours and design will surely be an engaging treat for your toddlers. Most of these interactive electronics are designed to be child friendly and teach toddlers about number and letters. These make them perfect electronic gifts for they can help you get your child away in front of the television.

Phonic toys can help toddlers memorize and verbalize the alphabet, and speak clearly at young age. Many young children will surely relish playing with phonic toys and hearing different sounds.

Interactive storybooks with fun sound effects and cheerful melodies are great reading tools for beginners. They make reading fun and enjoyable, and encourage development of fine motor skills and reading skills.

Homer’s Early Christmas Present

Electronic toys and gadgets for school children
When children reach school age and starts making friends, their interest change, and it is common for them to loose interest in their old toys and old past-time favourites. This signals the time to introduce them to school-age electronic toys and toys that encourage cognitive learning and promote the development of analytical skills. These must-have gadgets include the following:

Video and PC games are popular among children these days. However, parents need to be watchful on the types of video and PC games their children play. Role-playing games can be entertaining, but they tend to keep children out of touch from reality. Thus, parents should see to it that the games their children play are of the types that promote learning; the games that embed knowledge as part of the game environment such as the curriculum-based game Sonica Spanish and the psychotherapeutic game Treasure Hunt.

These days he is more into electronic games …

Hand-held game consoles that played educational games such as chess, Sudoku and word games are great educational electronic toys for children. They help develop a child’s analytical ability, vocabulary and mathematical skills.

Portable media players are cool gadgets for young children. They let young children enjoy their favourite music and videos of popular characters like Dora, Barney and SpongeBob while on the road, thereby, sparing adults the trouble of having to deal with the repetitive are-we-there-yet question.

Tamagotchi

Educational multimedia systems such as Leapfrog Leapster are great electronic gadgets. They promote learning among young children, while allowing them to have fun. They could also be helpful in responding to learning difficulties in young children who may be at risk for learning disabilities.

Effects of electronics and electronic media on young children
It is true that electronics and electronic media are excellent tools to promote learning in young children. However, when inappropriately chosen and when their use is not properly controlled, they can have a negative impact on children’s well-being, as well as personal and social development.

Who took the ladder?

An article published in the Future of the Children journal, which takes a close look at how electronic screen media influence children showed that the media’s effect on children is dependent on the type of content that children find attractive on the screen. Author Barbara J. Wilson, head of Champaign-based University of Illinois’ Department of Communication, found that media exposure can contribute to children’s fears and anxieties, and that violent television programming can contribute to children’s violent and aggressive behaviour. This phenomenon, Wilson explained, can be attributed to the fact that from watching the emotional experiences of media characters and from experiencing empathy with those characters, children can learn about the nature and causes of different emotions. Drawing from Wilson’s findings, we can conclude that other types of electronic media such as video/audio devices also affects children in the same way the screen media influences young children.

In related note, a survey conducted by the Edinburgh Sleep Centre determined that the presence of electronic devices such as television, telephone and video games bedrooms negatively affects children’s sleeping habit and quality of sleep. The study also found that the number of young people experiencing such problem is increasing, resulting to the emergence of what lead researcher Dr. Chris Idzikowski coined as “junk sleep.”

Edinburgh Sleep Centre’s claim was supported by Dr. Shahrad Taheri of Bristol University’s Henry Wellcome Institute. Taheri blamed electronic devices for negatively affecting children’s quality of sleep, and further added that too little sleep or disruptions in normal sleeping can result to obesity. This is because bad sleeping habit can disrupt hormones that help control hunger and energy expenditure and the desire for calorie-rich foods.

The experts believe that the problem can only be addressed by removing televisions and other electronic items from children’s bedrooms and implementing regular bedtime routine and strict rules on the use of electronic devices.