This time, I would like to exchange ideas with you on a method I developed myself. Our topic is the use of screens smaller than 12 inches for children under the age of 12. The industry I work in and my endless curiosity have caused me to worry about the use of healthy technology for a while. I listened, I asked, I talked, I discussed… At the end of the day, I thought it was necessary to tackle the issue from the very beginning, from the children.
When I follow people who oppose the use of small screens, I observe that their reason is physical anxiety. “Your eyes will deteriorate”, “you will be hunched over” etc… It is true, but there are also aspects that must be taken care of physically. But I want to talk to you about the developmental side. Let’s move on to the developmental side of using a screen smaller than 12 inches before the age of 12: What do you think about children who eat with tablet/phone, which we often see at dinner tables and are no longer a problem? I can understand parents about cartoons. After all, I’m also a cartoon enthusiast and grew up watching it 🙂
The part that I can’t understand is the content watched with screens under 12 inches. Why is that? I think that this behavior increases the child’s interest in the small screen, accustoms them to the convenience of quick access, and creates a feeling of deprivation when access is denied. Here the problems begin… What, don’t you watch, kid? Although the content is a separate issue, I do not see any problem in watching useful content and playing games. In fact, I think that the correct use of these will positively support the development. The problem again is that it doesn’t do this on a big screen. What’s changing on the big screen?
I call screens smaller than 12 inches, in my own words, personal screens. “I know what you’re watching” or “parental controls are already on” are terms we use to console ourselves on these screens. You can clearly see how epic these stories are after zapping 10-15 videos at the same settings. This is exactly where you will find the answer to your question “from where does he learn these different words”.
Why big screen? The use of large screens cannot be hidden or missed, as there are products that are much more suitable for viewing posture than mobile, the large screen. Where do your zaps go? What is he really watching? Does he play good games? Does he talk nicely with his friends while playing games? I’m not saying let’s do detective work, I mean let’s follow up and motivate. I think our children, whose everything we follow, deserve this. Of course you too.
So what is 12 inches? If we generalize as tablets with large screen size and monitors/TVs with small screen size, I think we will not be making a mistake. Some examples you can see below can be used as a reference for 12-inch screens and above.
iPad Pro – 12.9 inch
ASUS ProArt Display – 14 inches
Telefunken TV – 24 inch
Finally, as I insistently underline everywhere; Technology is not bad, misuse of technology and its consequences can be bad. I wrote these to you so that kids can watch their content, play their games and do all of this the right way. I think that future individuals will have a healthier digital life when they grow up like this, what do you think? I eagerly await your feedback.