Why every child needs an iPad

 Cultofmac/Mike Egan:
Letting kids use or own iPads is controversial. Parents, teachers and others aren’t so sure about letting kids get sucked into yet another electronic diversion.
Everybody’s asking: Are iPads healthy for children?
I’m here to tell you: That’s the wrong question.
The right question is this: Is the iPad a healthy *replacement* for TV? And I believe the answer is a resounding yes.
Kids spend more time watching TV than in class (1,500 hours on TV per year vs. 900 hours in school). More than two-thirds of daycare centers let kids watch TV during day-care hours.
One-quarter of preschoolers, half of school age children and two-thirds of teenagers have TV sets in their bedrooms. Two thirds of American families watch TV while eating dinner.
The average American child watches 20,000 TV commercials per year. The number one category of product advertised on children’s TV shows is junk food.
...That’s why fearing the iPad is such a colossal error. The iPad isn’t a new problem. The iPad is a new solution to an old problem.By *replacing* TV time with iPad use, parents can dramatically improve the lives of their children.
From a parent’s perspective, the iPad is superior to a TV in every significant way:
* The iPad has far fewer, far less harmful ads than TV. It can even be rendered “commercial-free.” Imagine that.
* The iPad is interactive, for the most part, rather than passive. Instead of just staring motionless at TV, kids could be solving puzzles, actively playing games, typing, drawing and other activities.
* Parents can control iPad content. The App Store contains literally thousands of educational children’s books, games and other apps. By not sharing the iTunes password with children, parents can have total control over what’s on that iPad. By not connecting it to the Wi-Fi network, parents can easily prevent even Internet surfing.
* The iPad can be made age-appropriate.
* The iPad can be taken outside.
* The iPad can encourage the following of curiosity and discovery. By loading that sucker with a huge number of educational programs, kids can explore and search and discover what their interests really are, rather than being spoon-fed their interests by the commercial-driven TV industry.
* The iPad builds skills. By using an iPad, children can learn typing, multi-touch navigation, problem solving (with puzzles and games) and many other skills. Watching TV imparts zero valuable skills.
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http://www.cultofmac.com/why-every-child-in-america-needs-an-ipad/93887