By Michaela Gordoni
A viral post on social media has sparked debate about how society views children’s behavior in public.
A user called @izzie_artemisart wrote on Threads: “I saw a post saying: The reason why iPad kids exist is that we don’t allow kids doing kids things in public. It was written by a screen-free mom of ADHD kids. Got me thinking.”
The post had over 65,000 views, 5,800 likes and hundreds of comments, Newsweek reported.
Some commenters said kids should be kids, allowed to be loud and play. Some commented on receiving criticism when their kids acted like normal kids. Others commented on the pressure to have “perfectly behaved” children in public.
“You have parents passing out goodie bags of ear plugs and treats with little notes excusing their kids,” one person wrote. “Grown adults having tantrums in public because a kid acted like a kid in their presence.”
Related: ‘Not A Fan’: Drew Barrymore Keeps Kids’ iPads ‘Locked In A Safe’
“Parents don’t let the village be a village anymore. If your kid is running around screaming at a brewery or throwing things, I’d have no problem saying, ‘Hey, don’t do that’ or ‘Keep it down’, but then the parent is going to lose their minds,” one person wrote. “They expect everyone to pretend their screaming kid that’s throwing trip hazards on the ground should be ignored.”
Others commented that giving kids iPads in public is just lazy parenting because they are using them as babysitters.
Other posts have gone viral too, even from Gen Z criticizing Gen Alpha’s iPad use.
“I need everyone else in my generation to promise that we are not going to raise ‘iPad children.’…You’ve been shoving media and screens in these kids’ faces since birth,” said Gen Z influencer Gabe Escobar. He added that iPad kids “can’t read” and “have no imagination.”
“Children naturally learn by chatting, fidgeting, asking questions and exploring,” said Dr. Sasha Hall, a senior education and child psychologist. “When there is pressure to keep them still and silent, screens can become the easy option to help everyone cope.”
“Technology can support learning, communication and regulation, including for some neurodivergent children,” Hall noted. “It becomes more of a concern when screens replace real-life interaction and practice.”
Hall says parents should be mindful of their child’s device usage and shouldn’t let it replace real-world learning and coping skills. Children need to practice waiting and engage in conversation and find ways to manage their own boredom.
CNN Health writer David Allen notes kids may complain of being bored, “but soon after complaining…kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void with creative games, art, exploration and conversation,” and that’s how they learn.
What do you think? Should kids be kids in public, or should iPads keep them quiet?
Read Next: Is TV Better for Our Kids Than iPads?
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