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Child ‘apptivity seat’ irks parents, worries experts

Posted at 12:00 PM, Dec 16, 2013
and last updated 2013-12-16 14:00:33-05

(CNN) – Some early child experts have come out against a new baby seat that includes a holder for a tablet computer. They said the “apptivity seat” exposes children to computers too soon.

“There’s a time for this, and this is not the time for screens and technology and iPads at this young age. They need a responsive adult. They need to interact with real things, real objects and real people,” Vanier College Early Childhood Education faculty member Cathy Burns said. “It just makes the child passive and so the parent thinks the child’s okay but really it’s not stimulating.”

The Canadian Pediatric Society agreed and said too much screen time has a negative impact on a child’s physical and mental development. Ideally children under two should not be exposed to screens at all, it added.

In a statement, Fisher Price said it realized the seat is not for everyone and added it offers a variety of seats that do not include room for an iPad.