In the past few years, the educational apps business has boomed. There are now 80,000+ apps marked as “educational” in iTunes alone, with more offered through individual websites or other systems as well. With all that is now on the market, it can be hard to sift through to find the apps that are high-quality, impactful, and appropriate for young children. Given that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time to one hour or less per day for children ages 2-5, any time spent on a computer, phone, or tablet screen should be high quality and carefully selected. But how does a busy parent or caregiver parse through the sea of apps available for download? There are a number of frameworks that can help guide the decision.
Before reading the criteria for selection, a review of why children should be exposed to a limited amount of screen time may be helpful. In short, there is not much research supporting the idea that screen time is helpful to a child’s development, but rather, that in our modern world’s deluge of technology, limiting exposure is the important task for a child’s caregiver. However, it is important to note that there is not yet much research on the impact of interactive media (apps, games, etc) as compared to passive media (television, movies, etc) on a child’s development; a primary criticism of the AAP’s recommendation is that it is based on older technologies and does not account for the rapidly changing ways that we now consume content.
What does this mean for using apps? Parents and caregivers can follow the AAP’s recommendation of up to one hour of screen time by using carefully selected apps that meet the following criteria:
Select Interactive Media, Avoid Passive Content
A primary takeaway from the current crop of research is that interactive media is a stronger complement to a child’s development and education than passive content. High-quality interactive apps require active participation — problem-solving, matching and categorization, a combination of fine motor skills — as compared to passive media, which may require no physical or mental engagement other than viewing or swiping.
The quality of interaction matters. Some apps lean heavily on flashy pop-ups, narrators, or other devices intended on keeping your child’s attention. While a child who is interested is more likely to learn, the higher quality interactive apps will require sustained interest and engagement from your little one. This could include increasingly complex puzzles that build on a concept over game levels or a story line that follows a character throughout a game.
Developmentally Appropriate for Your Child
PBS recommends using this question as your guide when selecting an app: “Is this a skill or storyline my child is capable of following right now?” Many apps are rated for a specific age range, with the content geared towards that target audience. However, every child is different, and their interests, skills, and readiness for specific types of content should be taken into account when selecting an app.
Open Play vs. Guided Content
Either type of app can be a strong complement to your child’s learning, but knowing the difference is helpful in determining which you’d like your child to use. Open play apps offer a digital world — a forest, or outer space — and your child plays in that space on their own time, using their own creativity and imagination to engage with the world.
Guided content includes apps that have levels, games, or puzzles that a child passes through sequentially, ideally building on concepts and connecting knowledge learned in previous levels or games to the current concept. Poor quality guided content often is distinguished by the fact that it tells your child what to do or how to think about the topic at hand; guided content helps a child discover and learn at their own pace.
Selecting appropriate and helpful apps can be challenging, but the silver lining is that in the sea of 80,000 apps, there are a number of incredible options that your child may love. Use the tools at your disposal, including Common Sense Media’s app review, to find your next download.
