The researchers said that though the adverse effects of television and video on very small children was well understood, society’s understanding of the impact of mobile devices on the pre-school brain has been outpaced by how much children are already using them. In a commentary for the journal Pediatrics, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine reviewed available types of interactive media and raised “important questions regarding their use as educational tools”, according to a news release. “Mobile devices are everywhere and children are using them more frequently at young ages,” Jenny Radesky, a clinical instructor at Boston University’s Developmental-Behavior Pediatrics, said in a statement. They said children younger than 30 months “cannot learn from television and videos as they do from real-life interactions.” And to use a mobile device before that age on tasks that aren’t educational can be “detrimental to the social-emotional development of the child.” 
 
 Of particular concern, according to the recommendations, was how such technology could “interfere” with a child’s growing sense of empathy or problem-solving skills. “If these devices become the predominant method to calm and distract young children, will they be able to develop their own internal mechanisms of self-regulation?” the scientists asked. There is evidence that well-researched early-learning television programmes, such as Sesame Street, and electronic books and learn-to-read applications on mobile devices can help vocabulary and reading comprehension, the team found, but only once children are much closer to school age. Use of interactive screen time below three years of age could also impair a child’s development of the skills needed for maths and science, they found, although they also said some studies suggested benefits to toddlers’ use of mobile devices including in early literacy skills, or better academic engagement in students with autism. Radesky encouraged more “unplugged” family interaction in general and suggested young children may benefit from “a designated family hour” of quality time spent with relatives – without any television and mobile devices being involved. “These devices may replace the hands-on activities important for the development of sensorimotor and visual-motor skills, which are important for the learning and application of maths and science,” Radesky said.
– Tempted to hand your fussy toddler an iPad? You may want to think again: Research out of Boston University finds that, for children younger than 30 months, using smartphones and tablets for anything other than educational purposes can be "detrimental to ... social-emotional development," the Washington Post reports. At that age, kids learn best from "real-life interactions," the study published in the journal Pediatrics finds, and they need to learn empathy and problem-solving skills by playing with other children. The use of mobile devices instead can interfere with the acquisition of those skills. "If these devices become the predominant method to calm and distract young children, will they be able to develop their own internal mechanisms of self-regulation?" the study authors ask. The researchers also note, per the Guardian, that for children under 3 years of age, "interactive screen time" can hurt their development of the skills they'll later use for math and science: "These devices may replace the hands-on activities important for the development of sensorimotor and visual-motor skills," such as playing with building blocks, the authors note. Allowing children to use mobile devices for educational, rather than "mindless" or "mundane" purposes, can be useful, but only when children are closer to school age, the Telegraph reports. When children are younger, such devices are most effective when used alongside adults, rather than simply as a means of distraction. (Of course, there can be practical benefits to your toddler knowing how to use your iPhone.)