IPad - worth buying one or not?

[armaghniac]

I know  you can't exactly  go all Amish  with kids  these days regarding technology , but  I see worrying trends.

Friends of ours have  3 kids (under 7) , all had an iPad  from around a year old .  The kids don't  seem to  be able to travel in the  car , eat their  dinner  or entertain themselves without the  pads.  Countless times  I've heard both parents bemoaning about the pads ,  giving out to the kids for constantly being on them , or  not finding something else  to do .  At the same time , a fortune is spent at Xmas and birthdays on other toys , which are  never looked at, nor does the  time on the pads seem to be curtailed

Know of 2  instances of teens with  clear addiction issues and behavioural  issues regarding phones . Basically , it seems  to me because the parents   never curtailed the  amount of time spent on them . The kids got used to  being on them as much as they  wanted , and  now it's near impossible to deal with . One having anxiety issues and  other won't go to school or do  anything  they're told .  Everything's a screaming match, violent outbursts , the lot. Everything is all about  the phone . Hygiene, hanging out, reading,  sport, friends  ,all  gone for a burton, as Del Boy would say.

I have relatives in the same boat.  All kids under 5 have their own tablets and are never off them.  The two younger ones have issues talking and interacting.  The 5 year old has no interest in outdoor activities anymore, and has serious bags under his eyes. 

My brother on the other hand is the opposite with his kids roughly the same age.  They have a tablet between 4 of them, but they are not dependent on it and they have a lot of outside the house activities to get on with.

In an odd social experiment type way I am curious to see how they all pan out over the back of it.


Each to their own, but my kids won't be sitting slaving away over tablets when they are young, no need for it.   

You have to parent. Ours have defined rules and screen time. No substitute for outside.

It is for a long flight and wouldnt want them hooked on it but they prefer outside to TV at the moment and it will stay that way

I still think an iPad is the way to go.
If you download movies or tv shows put it on airplane mode and check all is downloaded a few days before. Also download to early or it will expire. Got caught out once before. Was not a fun experience.

If it is movies you want an Android tablet one third the cost of an iPad will do the trick.

[weareros]

Hear all the worries. But I see mine at an early age learned how to edit movies, create animations, do amazing artwork, create books. They go in and find all these tutorials on YouTube. When I was their age I spent more time watching absolute shite on RTE, learning nothing. I left university not knowing how to type. So long as you balance giving them the social skills, get them out seeing nature, etc.

[trueblue1234]

Give balance. They need both in their life's now. We can all reminisce about being outside for the majority of the day. But it's a different world. I tried to keep the first away from them totally. She struggled then when we did start letting her as she didn't have a clue compared to her mates who were flying on games/ apps. I see it as a necessary evil in my eyes.

[Main Street]

I know  you can't exactly  go all Amish  with kids  these days regarding technology , but  I see worrying trends.

Friends of ours have  3 kids (under 7) , all had an iPad  from around a year old .  The kids don't  seem to  be able to travel in the  car , eat their  dinner  or entertain themselves without the  pads.  Countless times  I've heard both parents bemoaning about the pads ,  giving out to the kids for constantly being on them , or  not finding something else  to do .  At the same time , a fortune is spent at Xmas and birthdays on other toys , which are  never looked at, nor does the  time on the pads seem to be curtailed

Know of 2  instances of teens with  clear addiction issues and behavioural  issues regarding phones . Basically , it seems  to me because the parents   never curtailed the  amount of time spent on them . The kids got used to  being on them as much as they  wanted , and  now it's near impossible to deal with . One having anxiety issues and  other won't go to school or do  anything  they're told .  Everything's a screaming match, violent outbursts , the lot. Everything is all about  the phone . Hygiene, hanging out, reading,  sport, friends  ,all  gone for a burton, as Del Boy would say.

I have relatives in the same boat.  All kids under 5 have their own tablets and are never off them.  The two younger ones have issues talking and interacting.  The 5 year old has no interest in outdoor activities anymore, and has serious bags under his eyes. 

My brother on the other hand is the opposite with his kids roughly the same age.  They have a tablet between 4 of them, but they are not dependent on it and they have a lot of outside the house activities to get on with.

In an odd social experiment type way I am curious to see how they all pan out over the back of it.


Each to their own, but my kids won't be sitting slaving away over tablets when they are young, no need for it.   

You have to parent. Ours have defined rules and screen time. No substitute for outside.

It is for a long flight and wouldnt want them hooked on it but they prefer outside to TV at the moment and it will stay that way

I still think an iPad is the way to go.
If you download movies or tv shows put it on airplane mode and check all is downloaded a few days before. Also download to early or it will expire. Got caught out once before. Was not a fun experience.

If it is movies you want an Android tablet one third the cost of an iPad will do the trick.

The android equivalent of iPad is Galaxy Tab, both are overkill for youngsters. I thinks it's a simple case of handmedowns, an excuse for a parent to upgrade and hand down the retro pad/tab.

[AustinPowers]

Looking at  an iPad to buy

Apparently there are  two types , a cellular  one where you can insert a  SIM card and make calls with

 The other one  I looked at doesn't take s SIM card
to allow you to make calls.

But  I wonder can you still  mAke calls/video calls via WhatsApp on the non-cellular iPad?

[armaghniac]

Looking at  an iPad to buy

Apparently there are  two types , a cellular  one where you can insert a  SIM card and make calls with

 The other one  I looked at doesn't take s SIM card
to allow you to make calls.

But  I wonder can you still  mAke calls/video calls via WhatsApp on the non-cellular iPad?

There should be a variety of apps like Whatsapp that allow you make calls on Wifi, but the sim card version might actually work like a big phone.

[balladmaker]

Looking at  an iPad to buy

Apparently there are  two types , a cellular  one where you can insert a  SIM card and make calls with

 The other one  I looked at doesn't take s SIM card
to allow you to make calls.

But  I wonder can you still  mAke calls/video calls via WhatsApp on the non-cellular iPad?

There should be a variety of apps like Whatsapp that allow you make calls on Wifi, but the sim card version might actually work like a big phone.

I think the cellular option is just to give you connectivity to email, browse etc. when out and about and away from WiFi.  The fact that you can hotspot it to your phone anyway, kind of makes me think cellular option is not needed ... but maybe I'm missing something.

[Main Street]

Looking at  an iPad to buy

Apparently there are  two types , a cellular  one where you can insert a  SIM card and make calls with

 The other one  I looked at doesn't take s SIM card
to allow you to make calls.

But  I wonder can you still  mAke calls/video calls via WhatsApp on the non-cellular iPad?

There should be a variety of apps like Whatsapp that allow you make calls on Wifi, but the sim card version might actually work like a big phone.

I think the cellular option is just to give you connectivity to email, browse etc. when out and about and away from WiFi.  The fact that you can hotspot it to your phone anyway, kind of makes me think cellular option is not needed ... but maybe I'm missing something.

The cellular option is an added expense and not worth it imo. Twice I have chosen non cellular iPad and havent regretted it so far. You get used to the small inconvenience of connecting via hot spot when needed.

[Tony Baloney]

Use the mobile hotspot on your phone if you need the cellular option. Definitely wouldn't bother with it if I was buying one.

[AustinPowers]

Looking at  an iPad to buy

Apparently there are  two types , a cellular  one where you can insert a  SIM card and make calls with

 The other one  I looked at doesn't take s SIM card
to allow you to make calls.

But  I wonder can you still  mAke calls/video calls via WhatsApp on the non-cellular iPad?

There should be a variety of apps like Whatsapp that allow you make calls on Wifi, but the sim card version might actually work like a big phone.

I think the cellular option is just to give you connectivity to email, browse etc. when out and about and away from WiFi.  The fact that you can hotspot it to your phone anyway, kind of makes me think cellular option is not needed ... but maybe I'm missing something.

The cellular option is an added expense and not worth it imo. Twice I have chosen non cellular iPad and havent regretted it so far. You get used to the small inconvenience of connecting via hot spot when needed.

So WhatsApp calls/videos calls are possible  with the non-cellular  ipad?

This will just be  used  for home use really , connecting via the home  broadband . Browsing, videos, email etc.  But definitely would need the  video calls in particular

[Tony Baloney]

Looking at  an iPad to buy

Apparently there are  two types , a cellular  one where you can insert a  SIM card and make calls with

 The other one  I looked at doesn't take s SIM card
to allow you to make calls.

But  I wonder can you still  mAke calls/video calls via WhatsApp on the non-cellular iPad?

There should be a variety of apps like Whatsapp that allow you make calls on Wifi, but the sim card version might actually work like a big phone.

I think the cellular option is just to give you connectivity to email, browse etc. when out and about and away from WiFi.  The fact that you can hotspot it to your phone anyway, kind of makes me think cellular option is not needed ... but maybe I'm missing something.

The cellular option is an added expense and not worth it imo. Twice I have chosen non cellular iPad and havent regretted it so far. You get used to the small inconvenience of connecting via hot spot when needed.

So WhatsApp calls/videos calls are possible  with the non-cellular  ipad?

This will just be  used  for home use really , connecting via the home  broadband . Browsing, videos, email etc.  But definitely would need the  video calls in particular

See above. The type of iPad won't affect the apps available. You'll still have access to FaceTime, Zoom etc. Without cellular you will have to use the mobile hotspot on your phone so if you have a chunky enough data allowance that's the no-brainer option for me and I wouldn't bother with the additional upfront cost on the more expensive cellular enabled iPad (as well as ongoing expense).

[gallsman]

First and foremost, WhatsApp isn't available for iPads, at least not as a native app. You can use facetime and other apps. Zoom, Meet etc.

Secondly, zero point in this day and age getting a cellular tablet when you can hotspot a 5G connection. Unnecessary expense in terms of the increased cost of the tablet and the additional SIM