Yesterday while I was trying my luck on a PayPal casino site, I got news of one of the most popular media outlets in America, The New York Times, reporting that children as young as three or four can have behavioral problems due to watching too much television.

You probably think we shouldn’t rely on television to serve as babysitters at all ages, but studies have shown that very young children (three or four) and preschoolers (three or four and older) can have significant behavioral problems from watching too much television. According to these cable tv statistics here, older generations tend to watch much more tv on average than younger generations. This is some slight relief, however its clear that more in-depth research needs to be done.

Dr. Douglas J. Weinberg, a psychologist at Wellesley College, “At this age, many children don’t have self-awareness of their own attention. That makes them much more vulnerable to external influences.”

The Times says “family experts say these effects are the result of watching TV alone, with very limited engagement with their parents,” and that is one of the main reasons families like to leave their children at home during the day.

We also think it is a great opportunity to get our kids up on the smart device front for a little while. Instead of throwing a tablet in the car to keep them occupied and distract them from the horrors of driving a car, why not try downloading some nice apps that teach them about apps and using computers.

Here are some of our favorites:

Small Pedometer

Let’s Go Fishin’

Candy Factory

Stop, Drop and Roll

Most of these apps are free. Just make sure your kid is around you to play some of these games.

Kids Can Have Their Smartphone Back But There Are Some Limits

For some people the question would be, “Why do I care so much about my kid’s cellphone?” Well, the truth is we want them to be smart enough to manage it like the world is going to be relying on them to do. Not being around you will be a killer if they are younger, older, and when you are getting up on the next generation. The first cellphones were for adults, not kids. Back then there were kids getting their phones stolen at school and dying in car crashes. We know all of this, so we put restrictions on cellphones to keep our kids safe.

There are some limits. It is best to not give your kid the smartphone until they are in school. The dangers of letting them have a cellphone are unknown and might not even occur.

Many parents say it is fine to give the younger kids smartphones when they are six or seven years old. The risks are small, so it is better to keep the smartphone away from our kids for a while. Then they can start using it, but with supervision. One of the best ideas is to sign them up for some kid apps to get them into the whole smart phone scene. Most kids have computers and smartphones now, so it is time to try some child friendly apps.

Do you give your kids smartphones when they are younger? What kind of apps do you think they should get to make sure they are safe?